Avatar Aang And The Sorcerer's Stone
by Warrior Cat Cody
Summary: Avatar Aang and Team Avatar are invited to Hogwarts for a mission from Albus Dumbledore and to have some fun! Will Team Avatar and the Golden Trio solve this year's puzzle to stop Voldemort from getting the Sorcerer's Stone?
1. Letters From Hogwarts

**AvatarCat11: I promised you folks that I was going to make a brand new epic series called Avatar Aang At Hogwarts, and I'm going to update it really soon. But the first book is called Avatar Aang and the Sorcerer's Stone. You know, I have a thing of writing about epic tales.**

**Plus, for the first time ever, I'll say the summary before the disclaimer and the updating date. That way it won't start out bad.**

**Summary: On July, a year after the War ends, Team Avatar is invited to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to learn magic. While there, Aang and his friends befriend the Golden Trio (Harry, Ron, and Hermione) and they find out a lot about each other. But a powerful evil being more powerful than Ozai is threatening to be revived. Will Aang, Harry, and their friends stop him?**

**There. NOW here's the disclaimer.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last AirBender or Harry Potter. Their respective owners own them.**

**Updating Date: May 11, 2011**

**Enjoy!**

**...**

_Letters From Hogwarts_

It has been quite a year (let's say around until July because the finale happened on August in their time) since we last time left our heroes and they were hanging out as usual at the Jasmine Dragon tea shop at Ba Sing Se. The tea shop had been not been wounded in the liberation of Ba Sing Se from the Fire Nation by the Order of the White Lotus.

Avatar Aang himself had been the winner in a climactic battle against Fire Lord Ozai by using a powerful and rare form of Bending called EnergyBending. This was used by taking away the evil FireBender's powers and made him a prisoner on his own special day, the day he became the so-called Phoenix King. After the battle, Ozai had been locked away in a prison cell where he could try and learn from his mistakes.

Following that powerful day, a new Fire Lord had come to the throne: Zuko, son of Ozai and a trusted friend of Team Avatar. He had been scarred by his father for protest against a general while in the throne room and banished until he could capture the Avatar. After trying to capture the Avatar and leaving his homeland, Zuko had come to realize that helping the Avatar was his destiny, not catching him.

But now, the War was finally over and things in the world were slowly returning to normal. And as spoken of before, Team Avatar was hanging out at the Jasmine Dragon tea shop, either talking about stuff or sipping their tea. And over the years, they had been helping the world recover from its wounds and making it a better place for everyone.

**...**

As Aang arrived from the Jasmine Dragon room where he was sleeping at, he heard a soft female voice behind him say, "Good morning, Aang."

The AirBending Avatar turned to see Katara, his kind and beautiful Water Tribe girlfriend, smiling gently at him. He had loved her from the time when she freed him from the Iceberg in the Southern Water Tribe. When she and Sokka, her brother, had traveled with him, they started to fall for each other and had finally started a relationship a week after the War came to an end.

"Good morning to you too," Aang replied, planting a kiss on her cheek. He blushed as he did so, for he really didn't expect himself to be like this. He had hoped that, after nearly a year since they started dating, that he would stop blushing like that.

"So...should we get some breakfast now?" Katara asked him.

Aang nodded, and the two exchanged a passionate kiss.

"Okay, you two! Back it up! You'll give me eternal oogies!" her brother Sokka interrupted, getting in between Aang and Katara and pushing them a little away from each other.

Ever since Aang and Katara had entered their relationship, Sokka had been keeping an eye on them like a raven-eagle. Aang knew that the Water Tribe teenager was very protective of his sister and would attack anyone or anything that harmed her. But to him, that didn't give him the right to spy on them all the time.

"Sokka, will you knock it off?" Katara sighed with exasperation. "Aang's my boyfriend now, remember?"

Sokka held up his hands in mock defeat as he replied, "I know, I know. But I'm making sure you two don't do anything…mature. And if you do, I know where you go at night!" he added, suddenly looking from left to right like a spy.

Aang went along with the joke by saying, "I get it. We'll be careful with that."

But deep inside, he knew that Sokka was right. He and Katara were indeed dating now, but they were still too young to have sex. He didn't want to give her anything that they would regret like pregnancy; they could have a baby when they got older.

Leading Katara away to the tea shop, he let her go in first, and they went to sit in two chairs so that they could get their order in. Right when they sat down, they heard a familiar voice speak.

"So...can I get you two lovebirds anything?"

Aang and Katara looked up to see Zuko right in front of them, smilingat them as he set down a tray of egg custard tarts in front of them. They had heard that the Fire Lord had been a waiter at this shop when he worked for his uncle Iroh, the founder of the tea shop and the Dragon of the West, but they never really believed it until they saw it themselves. But they had seen him serve some tea at the Western Air Temple and here at the Jasmine Dragon Tea Shop.

"So you're playing waiter again?" Katara asked him slyly, but her smile was gentle. "Where's Jin at?"

Zuko looked towards the tea-making room where Iroh and Jin worked at. "She's helping Uncle as usual. She's wanted to help us out since the end of the war." Turning back to them, he asked, "So what'll you have?"

"Is there ginseng tea there? With some cream?" the WaterBender asked him.

"Same here," Aang put in.

Zuko nodded while smiling and said, "I'll see what we can do." And at this, he walked away to help his uncle and his assistant in the kitchen.

But when the Fire Lord was gone, Aang wondered if he should tell Zuko more about EnergyBending, the technique he had used to defeat his father. He could understand that, but he would still be shocked about hearing new Bending. But that could only be taught by a spiritual lion-turtle.

The Avatar noticed a hand laying on his shoulder as he came back into focus. He turned to see that Katara was gazing at him with concern in her beautiful blue eyes as she asked, "Aang, what's the matter?"

Aang took a custard pastry in his hand before looking down. "It's just that...do you think I should've told Zuko more about EnergyBending?"

"Yes," she said, nodding. "He has a right to know about this. Like you knew how he and I defeated that insane sister of his."

Aang winced a little at the slightly thoughtless tone that his girlfriend said Azula's name. But he knew, deep inside, that she and Zuko felt bad for Azula since she had a rough childhood without a mother. He himself also felt sympathetic; if she hadn't been raised the way Ozai had raised her, she would be a good sister to Zuko.

But her voice grew gentle as she told him, "Look, Ozai might change in prison or he might not change at all. No matter what happens, the War's over, and we should try and help everyone out. So let's not worry about the past. Cheer up!"

Smiling at her when this sunk in, Aang gave her a gentle peck on the lips and said, "Thanks. That really cheered me up."

Then they proceeded to deepen the kiss a bit more and would have gone deeper…if a certain voice didn't interrupt them.

"Did I just hear you guys swap spit?" Toph's humor-filled voice rang out to them. Aang and Katara broke the kiss apart and looked over at the blind EarthBender with exasperation.

Aang turned to her and asked, "Can't anyone leave us alone for just one bit?"

The blind tomboy just laughed. "I didn't come here because I felt like it! I could feel you two making out!"

The couple exchanged looks with one another and looked away from each other, blushing. They knew that Toph could sense her way around the world by EarthBending and she could also tell if someone was lying or not by the way their body was placed. So there was no way of avoiding this little lie detector.

"Yeah, but they're a couple now," Suki, Sokka's Kyoshi Island girlfriend, piped up as she joined them. "But it's kinda fun to spy on them like that," she added quietly to Toph.

Katara gave her a glare that said _And why do we share a room if you act like my brother?_

But Aang knew that they were just joking, even though he wished that others wouldn't stop them from kissing each other. Suki was correct; they were a pair now, and they had a right for space to themselves. But Sokka didn't seem to understand that yet, counting the times that their kisses were interrupted by him.

When Zuko came back with their tea (Jin bringing them some other stuff for tea), Aang and Katara pushed their interruption to the back of their minds. They looked up from their tea to see Zuko walk over to Mai, his emo girlfriend, and wrap one arm around her shoulder. The emo Fire Nation teenager responded by giving him a kiss on the cheek; they moved quickly away, though, when they saw Aang and Katara watching them.

But just when they finished their tea, they heard a loud screech from outside. Aang and Katara thanked Iroh for the tea quickly before going outside, expecting someone to be hurt...but something landed in front of them instead. It was a bird with tan feathers, large tawny eyes, and sharp talons. And in those talons was six letters, which it set at their feet.

"What is that bird, Aang? I haven't seen a bird like that before!" Katara exclaimed.

Aang wasn't sure, for that bird looked a little like a cat-owl except that it looked unlike one. But he had another question on his mind.

"And more importantly, why did it bring us four letters?" he asked , stooping low to the bird and grabbing the six letters. But when he flipped them over, he saw that they were in a language he didn't know yet. And another weird thing was that one of them was for him, but he knew what it was saying:

_Avatar Aang of the Air Nomads_

_The Jasmine Dragon Tea Shop_

_Ba Sing Se_

_Earth Kingdom_

The other letters were for Katara, Sokka, Toph, Suki, and Zuko. They also said the same thing except for the person it was mailed to.

Aang handed Katara's letter to her as he said, "There's some letters for us." Then he inspected the letter in a closer manner.

The envelope was broad and heavy, made of yellow parchment, and the address was written in emerald ink. It also had a coat of arms; four weird animals surrounding a large letter _H_. Giving a small breath, he opened his letter and began reading through it. It read:

_HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY_

_Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore_

_(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)_

_Dear Avatar Aang,_

_We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment._

_Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Minerva McGonagall_

Aang looked down at the bird in front of him; he supposed that this was the "owl" the letter told him about. Then he took out another piece of parchment and read the other piece of paper.

_HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY_

_UNIFORM_

_First-year students will require:_

_1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)_

_2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear_

_3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)_

_4. One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)_

_Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags_

_COURSE BOOKS_

_All students should have a copy of each of the following:_

_The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk_

_A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot_

_Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling_

_A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch_

_One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore_

_Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger_

_Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander_

_The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble_

_OTHER EQUIPMENT_

_1 wand_

_1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)_

_1 set of glass or crystal phials_

_1 telescope set_

_1 brass scales_

_Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad_

_PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS_

He heard a gasp of surprise and looked over to see Katara showing him her letter; it had said the same thing on her letter, so he suspected that they would be getting the same kind of stuff and that the others' letters said the same thing. But they didn't know how they would react to such news like this.

"Aang...we've been invited to this Hogwarts place or whatever it is," Katara was telling him when they went back into the Jasmine Dragon. "What do you think will happen?"

"I don't know," he told her. "Should we go?"

Katara looked away as she replied, "I-I don't know. I wanna try and spend some time with Gran-Gran, Dad, and Master Pakku again. What about you?"

Aang thought about this for a little bit; this was one place that could hold many secrets in one place. Plus, he hoped that he could find some new animals there to play around with; as an Air Nomad monk, he had a natural way for animals. So there was only one thing to say.

"I think I'll go," he finally announced. "How about you? I'll understand if you don't want to."

"I do want to spend time with my family again. I mean, I'd like to tell them about the stuff we've done to help others after the War," Katara replied. With a smile, she added, "But wherever you go, Aang, I'll go with you."

Aang gave her a smile in return and kissed her again as they walked back into the Jasmine Dragon Tea Shop. They would have kissed more if it wasn't for a familiar meddlesome voice.

"Is this another kissing thing I should know about?"

Aang heard Katara give a sigh of irritation when he saw that Sokka had come to see what had taken them so long. Toph and Suki were right behind him; Suki had a slightly exasperated look on her face while Toph had a look of naughtiness on her blind face.

Aang spoke up for Katara as he said, "No, we heard some loud shriek outside and found this outside the tea shop." He showed them the tawny owl, which was riding on top of his shoulder, and the three people stared at it with surprise. "And Katara and I got these from it."

He handed the letters to the Water Tribe warrior, who opened them and read through them. But the Avatar had a slight uncertainty about Sokka reading the letters; unlike him or Katara, he preferred to be more of the realistic type and used science to figure things out.

Team Avatar got an experience with that when they went to Aunt Wu's town to get their fortunes read. He had ranted uncontrollably about Aunt Wu's predictions being wrong, but Aang knew better...somewhat. The only true things she said were them saving the town from the volcano and him finding the love of his life. That love was Katara, whom he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

When Sokka finished reading, he suddenly asked, "What's this Hogwarts place?"

"We don't know," Katara answered him, her annoyance at him fading. "And you, Toph, Suki, and Zuko have some too."

"Really?" Toph asked, looking a bit annoyed. "School again?"

But Suki looked up to it as she gently took the letter from the owl and said, "I'd like to go. But I'll have to ask Ty Lee to be the leader of the Kyoshi warriors while I'm gone; she knows moves that we don't! What about you?" she asked her boyfriend.

Sokka rubbed his chin to think it over. He was thinking in a manner that he would usually use whenever he put on his false beard and mustache to impersonate his other alter ego: Wang Fire, a made-up name he used it in the Fire Nation as a psychotherapist.

Finally he said, "This magic stuff is weird compared to Bending and I'm not one for all of this magic stuff. But it does seem nice..." Finally, he said, "Aw, what the heck? Might as well give it a try."

Suki kissed him gratefully on the lips and said, "I knew you'd say yes." But when Aang and Katara laughed at that, she asked in a slightly cross tone, "What's so funny? You're just laughing at us for kissing?"

"You and Sokka do it to me and Aang, so the dirt's on you now," Katara retorted teasingly.

Suki just ignored that as she and Sokka read their letters before Katara went over to Toph and read out the list for her. Now Aang had another worrying thing on his mind: how could Toph learn magic if she couldn't see anything? But he knew that she could feel her way around really well around Hogwarts if the school was made of stone.

Aang told her, "Don't worry, Toph. We'll tell you everything about what the spells do. We promise." The others added in their promises, making the blind EarthBending girl finally agree to join them.

"Plus, I'm sure Zuko will want to go," Sokka spoke up.

**...**

"But I can't go! Who'll run the Fire Nation while I'm gone?"

Aang and the rest of Team Avatar had given Zuko his letter, and he read through it carefully to not miss any detail. But the prediction Sokka made wasn't correct; what the Water Tribe warrior said next reminded him strongly of the time they were at the Serpent's Pass. That was when the Fire Nation and the Serpent were attacking them.

"Aww, the universe wants me to be wrong forever, right?" Sokka moaned.

Toph shrugged. "I think it does."

But when Zuko sat down and reread the letter once more, Iroh came over to his nephew and laid his hand on his shoulder. The Fire Lord looked up to see his uncle looking down at him with wisdom and kindness in his golden eyes.

"I will run the Fire Nation for you while you're gone, Zuko," Iroh calmed him. "I was planning on expanding my Jasmine Dragon Tea Shop elsewhere in the world anyways. I chose the Fire Nation because tea reminds me of home. So do not worry, nephew. To try new things is to find a blessing in disguise."

Zuko looked down at the letter, and then he looked up at his uncle to smile at him. "Thank you, Uncle," he told him, giving him a hug.

Iroh looked back at Team Avatar and told them, "I've known about that world for quite a while, for I also have been to the library in the desert while doing research on the Spirit World to search for Lu Ten. The Headmaster of Hogwarts is a good and honest man, and he will listen to what you have to say. I wish all of you the best of luck."

Zuko nodded before walking over to Mai and embracing her. "Are you sure you'll be okay with me gone?"

Mai gave him a small peck on the lips before telling him, "Hey, I've spent a few years without you. I'll try to last for another year."

Aang and Katara exchanged looks with each other. So far, since they hadn't laughed at them while kissing, Zuko and Mai had been worthy of not being laughed at while THEY would kiss each other. While Aang wondered what it would be like at Hogwarts, Katara turned around to give him a hug as she murmured this softly into his ear:

"We'll be okay, Aang. It's just for one year."

**...**

And when all six of them were packed and ready to go, a bright white light opened up before them and they all went inside it, leaving Appa and Momo behind with Iroh. The Fire Lord's temporary substitute had promised to look after the two animals and he promised to carefully follow the directions that Aang had given to him.

Up ahead of Aang and his friends, the tawny owl flew off with the letters in its beak. It was feeling upbeat for one reason. It had managed to help Albus Dumbledore invite Team Avatar to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

**_To be continued..._**

**...**

**AvatarCat11: There we go; the first chapter's done! I hope I helped suit their personalities in really well. If not, I'll edit this to make some readjustments.**

**So if you want to review, then that's fine with me. You'll receive some Swedish Fish gummies when you give a review. Now here's the summary for the next chapter.**

**Summary: Aang and his friends arrive at Hogwarts for a talk, leaving Albus Dumbledore to explain not only their stay, but also their mission.**

**See ya next time!**


	2. Albus Dumbledore

**AvatarCat11: Hey, everyone! I know that it's been a while since we updated this story, but guess what? I'm fixing to update it really soon! But let me just give you one spoiler: one person or two won't stay at Hogwarts for long. But I won't tell you when they leave or who they are. But it's high time that I update this.**

**But first, my Dachshund Reese gave birth to six puppies a few weeks ago, and they're really cute! Three males and three females. NOW here's the summary for this chapter before the disclaimer.**

**Summary: Aang and his friends arrive at the Leaky Cauldron, where they meet the one responsible for inviting them to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Then he tells them about why they were to attend this school: a secret mission!**

**Disclaimer: I've had to explain many times, and I'll say it again. I DON'T OWN AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER OR HARRY POTTER. End of story, good-bye, the end. And plus, Happy late 33rd Birthday, Garfield!**

**Updating Date: July 12, 2011**

**Enjoy!**

**...**

_Albus Dumbledore_

After some time that they went through the portal, Aang and his friends ended up somewhere in front of a pub. It looked quite dirty on the outside, but the weird part was that they were the only ones who could see it while the people with new clothes didn't see the dirty pub at all. The heroes of Team Avatar thought it was weird, but several people could see the pub, so they figured that they weren't insane at all.

So, after a group agreement, they decided to go in.

Inside the pub, it was dark and shabby, with a bar and a number of tables in the shadows of the corners. In stark contrast to the grubby downstairs of the pub, from what they heard some people say, there were some unpredictably pleasant rooms upstairs where passing wizards and witches could stay for the night. And in the pub itself, there were several witches and wizards tapping small sips from their drinks.

The six people of the Avatar world sat at a table for six just when an old man whose toothless grin made him look like a walnut came over to them. "Welcome to the Leaking Cauldron," he said in a strange accent. "These menus tell you what drink you'd like. So what would it be?"

Aang and the rest of his friends looked through the menus, looking very amazed at the drinks they could order. But these were strange drinks to them.

"Can I order the tea with some cream?" Zuko spoke up. "And I'm done."

"Same here."

"Same."

"Same."

"Same."

"Same here very much," Aang finished. The Air Nomads had taught him that alcohol could be bad for the health of an AirBender.

The old man, known as Tom, nodded and walked off.

When he was gone, Suki looked around and commented, "I don't like the looks of this pub. If only it were cleaner."

"But it's manly!" Sokka whined while his girlfriend rolled her eyes.

Aang, Katara, Toph, and Zuko laughed about that while some of the witches and wizards around them gave them weird looks. And when the tea arrived with the cream and the sugar in tow, they were all set, and their talk turned to one of this strange new world.

"Who do you think will guide us around this world?" Katara asked.

Zuko shrugged. "Someone who's well adapted to here, I suppose."

"And I can't wait to see what new powers this place has!" Aang added, feeling very excited about learning magic. This could probably be easier than learning the elements. But he was very grateful for Katara, Toph, and Zuko for training him to learn these elements.

And as they sat around, sipping their tea and talking, another old man was walking toward them in a very calm and peace-loving way. This old man had deep purple robes, a crooked nose as if someone punched it really hard, bright blue eyes, a silvery white beard, and half-moon glasses. Not only did this man's calm nature surprise them, his appearance certainly caught everyone's attention.

"Professor Dumbledore, sir!" Tom rasped as he hurried forward and shook his hand heartily. "Such an honor to have you here again, sir! Would you like to have a drink?"

"Just a gillywater, perhaps?" the man named "Dumbledore" said. "Just one."

Tom nodded and walked off. But as soon as he did so, Aang noticed that Dumbledore had seen them, gave them a warm smile, and walked towards them. Now he remembered hearing his name before; he heard it when he and Katara read their letters that the tawny owl brought them. He could also remember Iroh telling Zuko about this man's personality; this must be the one person that the Dragon of the West told them about.

"Welcome, Team Avatar, to the Wizarding World," Dumbledore greeted them as he pulled up a chair and sat down before them. Smiling a little more, he added, "And welcome to England."

"How do you know us?" Toph demanded him.

Katara gave the blind girl a glare to tell her not to be rude, but Dumbledore actually looked quite amused. He chuckled, "Interesting girl, isn't she? And don't worry about not paying for the drinks; I have it covered. And I am sorry to not introduce myself earlier. I am Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

Sokka spoke up, "We know. We read those letters. Is there really magic at this Hogwarts place?" His voice was filled with a bit of suspicion, but that still didn't remove the smile from Dumbledore's face.

"I believe there is," the old man replied. After that, he looked up at the ceiling and started humming to himself.

Aang, meanwhile, could tell that Dumbledore had a powerful aura around him, an aura even more powerful than maybe the mentioned magic. The old headmaster reminded him of Monk Gyatso, the elderly monk who had become Aang's AirBending instructor. Like all of the other Air Nomads, Monk Gyatso was killed while battling the Fire Nation. He couldn't help feeling this, but he felt that he could trust Dumbledore with a great respect.

Suddenly, the Air Nomad Avatar had a crazy idea; maybe Dumbledore could have known Gyatso. But as soon as he thought of that, he banished it from his mind. There was no way that this old wizard had known his treasured AirBending teacher. Besides, this man looked much older; in fact, he looked as if he was around a hundred years old. That was how long he was frozen in the iceberg.

"Back to the question young Toph asked," Dumbledore went on. "I know you because General Iroh, the famed Dragon of the West, had once visited me after your world had finished its war. But I must tell you that _our_ world is also in a war of its own, against an evil wizard by the name of Tom Marvalo Riddle, who prefers to go by the name Lord Voldemort."

At the sound of the name, many witches and wizards flinched as if this Voldemort person would get them. But Dumbledore looked very calm and collected when he had said the name; it was as if he had no problem with saying that.

As for Team Avatar, they began having some second thoughts about coming to this world. They had no idea this world was at war with another evil wizard. They had hoped that, after one hundred years of war and fighting, that they would get peace; the letters said nothing about war.

While Aang thought of this, Sokka snapped , "You didn't tell us there'd be a war ! How long has it gone on?"

"Oh, around ten years or so. But that was back then," Dumbledore replied, unfazed at Sokka's tone. "But it has been stopped by young Harry Potter."

"Harry Potter? Who's that?" Katara asked the Headmaster.

Dumbledore looked around at her, his blue eyes filled with nostalgia. "Harry Potter is the only wizard known to have defeated Lord Voldemort. His parents, James and Lily Potter, were killed while trying to stop him."

At that, Team Avatar felt sympathetic towards this Harry Potter person. Katara and Sokka had already endured enough pain when their mother Kya met her early fate in the hands of Yon Rha. And Toph had to endure her parents' doting behavior just because she was born blind. They had just found out, though, that she helped Aang save the world from Ozai and they decided to let her adventure some more...as long as she was careful.

But losing both a mother and a father to a one-man army, this was too much to bear. Aang felt the most concerned for Harry's health, for he had known how much it hurt when the ones he loved had been killed. However, along with his friends, he felt that they should just stay out of the way. That way, bad things wouldn't reach out to their world, and their world wouldn't get involved in another war.

"But how does this Harry Potter concern us?" Suki asked. There wasn't any malice in her voice, only caution.

"That is where you six come in," Dumbledore answered. "Another reason, and undeniably so, that you six have arrived is that you are to keep an eye on young Mr. Potter. Our own friend and gamekeeper, Rubeus Hagrid, will be arriving at the house of his aunt and uncle to give him his letter. When he brings Harry here, you are to keep an eye on him and accompany him on his path to become a great wizard."

Now Aang and his friends felt as if Dumbledore had lost his mind. This wasn't the good time to do this if there was another war going on in this world. However, Aang felt some logic was all behind this; he wasn't as scientific as Sokka, but he knew that the old headmaster was right. Like him, this young Harry Potter had a destiny to fulfill; to turn away from someone who needed them would be wrong.

But however, Sokka didn't sound so sympathetic at what he said next. "Sorry, but we can't. Not when there could be a war going on."

Dumbledore didn't look angry or upset about this; instead, he looked rather calm as he asked, "Why?"

"Because we don't want to get involved in another war." Zuko's voice was more polite yet regretful. "We don't want to lose anyone else in another unjust fight." He got up from his seat and bowed to the headmaster, adding, "Thank you for your kindness, but we have to go."

The other five of Team Avatar got up and murmured the same things before following the young Fire Lord out the pub and into a nearby alley. Dumbledore looked after them with some kind of knowing look in his eyes as if he expected them to come back soon.

While they were there, Sokka muttered, "Those letters didn't say anything about a War!"

"Sokka, we heard you say that for the second time today," Katara retorted.

Her brother gave her a glare. "So?"

"So I think we can help this Harry Potter person before we head back," Katara responded, a bit of impatience in her voice.

"But Sokka's right: we don't want to get involved in a war anymore," Suki told her friend heatedly; this was in defense of her boyfriend. "I don't want to get the Kyoshi Warriors involved in this either."

Zuko added, "Nor the Fire Nation…even though my nation caused the previous war."

"Then you know completely nothing about reliability to one's world," Aang retorted in a voice he himself didn't usually use. "If you three want to deny one's destiny, then be our guests. But Katara and I won't leave anyone who needs us," he added, using one of Katara's sentences that she used while in the Fire Nation.

Katara nodded in reply before kissing Aang on the cheek, making him blush. Sokka just rolled his eyes at that, but the two didn't pay attention to him.

But then, Katara suddenly spoke to someone who hadn't spoken since they left: "Toph, I didn't hear you say anything since we left the Leaky Cauldron. What's up?"

The blind EarthBender told her, "I felt the tremors underneath Dumbledore's feet, and the old geezer was right. We gotta help that kid."

"Toph, do you WANT another period of war?" Sokka asked her with disbelief.

"Hey, don't pull that on me, Snoozles," Toph retorted in an abnormally calm way. "I'd rather risk my butt fighting many bad wizards than sit by and do nothing."

For just a few moments, all of Team Avatar just stared at her in shock and disbelief. It was so much unlike Toph to remain calm like this when someone snapped back at her; usually, she would cook up a heated argument like she did with Katara...twice.

Finally, Sokka just sighed wearily. "I didn't want to leave you guys like this." Without anyone complaining, the Water Tribe warrior finally growled, "Fine. Okay, then. You, Aang, and Katara can stay in that magic world if you want. We're going home."

"Same here," Suki replied, standing next to her boyfriend.

"And me," Zuko added. "Like I said before, I have a nation to rule."

Aang, Katara, and Toph didn't complain one bit. They just nodded back with no regret.

All of a sudden, the same portal that took them to this world had reappeared right behind them. Sokka, Suki, and Zuko looked around at it before looking back at their three friends with regret in their eyes. But Aang could tell that they weren't going to change their mind that easily; he knew that they didn't want to face another war. But he, Katara, and Toph could handle being in another war for the sake of the young Harry Potter.

Without another word, the three other Team Avatar members picked up their belongings and walked up to the portal. White light enveloped around them for a moment or so before it began flickering every few seconds. And, while the remaining three members watched on, their three other friends disappeared, back to their world.

When that was done, Tom the bartender called to them.

"If you three want a place to stay for now, you're more than welcome to stay in the inn."

Aang, Katara, and Toph accepted Tom's offer and went back inside the pub.

**...**

When they went back in, they could see Albus Dumbledore still sitting there at the same table. He didn't look surprised that Suki, Zuko, and Sokka weren't there now; instead, he looked calm and he was just humming away a little, looking out the window.

"Sir, we're back," Katara greeted him.

Dumbledore looked back at them, smiled, and said, "Good. Very good. And as I was saying: Another reason, and undeniably so, that you three have arrived here is that you are to keep an eye on young Mr. Potter. Our own friend and gamekeeper, Rubeus Hagrid, will be arriving at the house of his aunt and uncle to give him his letter. When he brings Harry here, you are to keep an eye on him and accompany him on his path to become a great wizard."

Without hesitation, Aang bowed in respect and answered, "Yes, Professor Dumbledore."

"Yes, Professor Dumbledore," Katara repeated, bowing in the same way Aang did.

But Toph didn't at first because she was pausing to scratch her head before Katara gave her a nudge. Then she quickly bowed her head and said, "Yeah, sure."

"Excellent," Dumbledore exclaimed as if he just heard a good battle plan. "I knew that the Wizarding World could count on you, young Benders." Smiling while sipping his gillywater, he went on, "And tomorrow is Harry's birthday, so if you'd like to give him something pleasant, then you may. I'm not suggesting that you must; I am saying that it would be a great pleasure to get him something for his birthday."

Aang and Katara exchanged excited glances with one another before memories enveloped their minds. On Katara's sixteenth birthday, Aang had been worried that he wouldn't be able to choose the right gift for her, one that she could actually enjoy. But then he had remembered that when Team Avatar visited Aunt Wu's village, he had seen a man giving his lover a rare Panda Lily flower, which were found near the volcano near the town. So he went there to collect the flower even though a pack of bear wolves attacked him, but a dog (that looked like a real Akita Inu) had helped him. He had given both the flower and the dog to Katara, who was very happy to see that her boyfriend was a very good and caring person. After the celebration, she put the flower in a vase and named the dog Gin, whose name resembled his silver tiger-striped fur.

And as for Toph, her parents only got her safety stuff on her fourteenth birthday, forgetting their daughter's power. So Aang and Katara helped her out by taking her out for the day and letting her have a lot of fun stuff, like having an EarthBending rematch with King Bumi. Aang's old friend was still living (although he could have another year or so until he would die), and he was still a powerful EarthBender, but even he was surprised by Toph's MetalBending powers. When her parents came to see their daughter, they fully realized that she had much potential in her and promised to be more respectful to her decisions.

Finally, as for Aang, he had gotten things on his fourteenth birthday that reminded him of the Air Nomads. But what Katara gave him was the best gift he had received: an Air Nomad necklace that looked very similar to hers, except that the necklace was brown (not black) with a golden Air Nomad symbol instead of the silver Water Tribe symbol.

"Professor Dumbledore," Aang told the Headmaster, "...my friends and I would be honored to help Harry get some good presents this year."

Toph added, "And I'm sure that they'll be cooler than what he might've gotten."

Katara couldn't say any words, but she agreed with Aang and Toph.

"Brilliant," Dumbledore praised them as he got up from his table. "Well, I must be off to Hogwarts now. I shall see you two there." And with a sudden whip like a crack, the old wizard suddenly disappeared.

Aang, Katara, and Toph exchanged looks with one another before settling down in the chairs and ordering another three cups of tea this time. And they watched with wonder as more witches and wizards walked into the pub, sipping drinks and gossiping about people in their world.

**...**

When the day was already over, Aang and the two teenage girls decided to go to bed when the sun began to go down. Tom, the bartender, had showed them to their rooms and he had taught them how to handle the objects in their elaborate rooms, like a talking mirror that told Aang to grow some hair. And they had learned to not be surprised when the newspaper's pictures began moving in funny ways; even though Toph couldn't see, she commented that the picture Sokka had made could blow a raspberry at him for the artwork.

When Aang finished meditating for the night and was ready to sleep, Katara walked into the room and sat down on his bed. She looked over at her boyfriend and asked, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Aang replied. The Avatar turned around to face her and asked, "Do you think I made the right decision? You know, to help Harry Potter?"

"Yes. Whatever you decide, it'll be okay with me. I promise." The Southern Water Tribe girl got up from the bed and walked up to him, pressing her body against his. "Do you think this room's a bit uncomfortable?"

Aang blushed when she began rubbing his chest. "It's...good for thinking. Why do you ask?"

Katara looked up into his gray eyes and replied, "It's just...I feel a bit alone after all the adventures we had together. Alone in my room, that is." Then she asked him something that made him blush: "Would you like to spend the night with me in my room?"

Not knowing what to say, Aang looked around at the room. It did look quite lonely in here, and spending the night with her could help with the loneliness. Finally, he answered, "Sure."

His girlfriend gave him an affectionate smile before walking out of the room and looking back at him. When she gave him a seductive wink, Aang felt his feet start moving and walked over to her into the dark hallway. He could see Katara leading him to her room, turning around to smile and wink at him a few times, causing him to continue walking toward her.

When they reached her room, Katara immediately closed the door behind her, locked it, and gently pushed Aang down onto her bed. Aang wasn't expecting this and was very surprised, but when she kissed his lips, he forgot his surprise. He let himself drift away into her sweet scent and let her tongue enter his mouth, meeting her tongue with his. Aang let himself slip away from under her to turn out the lights and light the candles with FireBending before getting back to her.

Katara smiled down at him, her face shimmering in the candlelight and her sapphire-blue eyes turning tawny in the firelight. She looked so beautiful to him, so kind and so very much like a goddess. As Aang reached up to remove her Water Tribe robes to reveal her white sarashi, his heart raced faster than ever before he stopped a little in his breathing.

"Aang? Are you okay?" Katara asked him, concern in her voice.

Aang nodded up at her with a yawn. "Yeah. Just a little tired, that's all."

Katara smiled down at him again, kissed him one more time, and got under the covers, saying, "All right then. We've got an important day tomorrow. Good night, Aang."

"Good night, Katara," Aang replied sleepily as he slid quickly under the covers next to her.

In the dark, as they fell asleep and snuggled next to each other, these words described how they felt about each other:

"I love you, Katara..."

"I love you too, Aang..."

_To be continued..._

**...**

**AvatarCat11: Just to remind you guys, this story is Rated T, but this part was almost Rated M. Yes, they almost did some sex stuff during their night (I was going to partly add that to the end of this chapter, but I don't think it'll do.). NO, I'm not going to show it. That's why that's Rated M, for Pete's sake!**

**But I'm happy that this chapter is finally updated and done with! And picatsso, a word if you don't mind: I thank you for your advice. But it's just the way that I write my stories sometimes; it's what I call writer style. And half of Team Avatar returned to their world while the other three stayed! But thanks again for the advice!**

**Those aside, let's get on with the review thing. Anyone who reviews this story will be given a virtual Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans with the flavors that I choose. Speaking of that, I gotta add the flavors to my profile to let you choose. Now here's the summary for the next chapter.**

**Summary: Aang, Katara, and Toph finally meet Harry Potter and Rubeus Hagrid as they collect their items for Hogwarts. While they talk with him, Team Avatar hears about Harry's past with the Dursleys.**

**See ya next time!**


	3. Diagon Alley part 1

**AvatarCat11: We haven't had any Internet for quite a while because either some cable got messed up or a cable cord got cut. But since we got it hooked back up, I can now update some more stories! I'm probably gonna be busy with some other stories, but I'll get some others updated.**

**I'm updating some stories that I hadn't updated for quite a while; they are Avatar Mystery Dungeon 2: Legend of Korra, Avatar Seekers, and Wildfire: New Life. And I might have some new stories coming really soon, but I won't go into that yet.**

**Now let's go on with disclaimer and the summary.**

**Disclaimer: Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko are the owners of Avatar: The Last AirBender while J.K. Rowling is the owner of Harry Potter. As for me, I will never own those two series.**

**Summary: Aang, Katara, and Toph are introduced to Harry Potter and Hagrid, and they all go to Diagon Alley together. While there, Harry tells Team Avatar about his past with the Dursleys and they meet up with an unexpected visitor they didn't really expect to run into. Plus, since the past two chapters were in Aang's point of view, this chapter will be in Katara's point of view; Toph's point of view will come later.**

**Updating Date: August 14, 2011**

**Enjoy!**

**...**

_Diagon Alley (part 1)_

The first thing Katara felt when she woke up the next morning was a warm body asleep right next to her; her cheeks glowing red, she realized that she had wrapped her arm around Aang's slumbering form as the warm morning sunlight washed over them. She remembered asking him to spend the night with her in her room, and they almost lost their innocence that night, but they didn't, thanks to him being worn-out. But she didn't mind that at all, for she was feeling tired herself.

Smiling at waking Aang up, Katara sat up and leaned over the young Avatar, whose shirt was removed when it was too hot. She blushed when she saw his slightly muscular chest and form since he had trained himself in the Bending Arts. Katara laid down next to Aang and started rubbing his shoulder while her nose rubbed against his soft cheek, making him mumble a bit but still not awakening him. In the end, blushing hard at what she was going to do, she leaned down towards his face and licked him softly on the cheek.

This seemed to wake him up, for she saw his dark gray eyes gradually open and look around the room; his hand was touching the spot where her tongue licked his cheek. When Aang looked up at Katara, he smiled gently up at her and sat up a bit.

"Good morning, my beautiful goddess," he whispered, rubbing her cheek with his hand and kissing it softly.

"Same to you, my handsome Avatar," Katara murmured, smiling as she kissed his lips in response. "Did you sleep good last night?"

Aang responded, "Thanks to sleeping next to you, I feel much better." But as they extended their kiss until they were making out, he quickly pulled away, looking troubled about something.

With concern, Katara asked, "Aang, what's wrong?" With a little hurt in her voice, she went on, "Didn't you like sleeping in my room with me?"

"I loved it, Katara," Aang replied. "But I had a...a dream."

He groaned deeply and sat up as he explained, "When I was asleep, I dreamed I was standing outside a big house in a small village. I saw a man with a face that scared me so much; his eyes were red and snake-like, his face was pale, and his hands were like spider-snakes. He was attacking a man with untidy black hair and hazel eyes, and he was shouting 'It's him, Lily! Take Harry and go! I'll hold him off!'"

"So Harry Potter lived in that house?" Katara asked him. "And that person that was speaking was his father?"

Aang shrugged. "Must be. Anyways, the man with the red eyes murdered that other man with a green light coming from his wand; that's what Dumbledore called those sticks. So after the pale man killed the black-haired one, he went upstairs to some kind of nursery with a black-haired baby in a crib. His red-haired mother was guarding him; she wouldn't even move out of the way for the pale man to possibly kill him."

Katara gasped with horror. "So he murdered HER? Even in front of a baby?"

"All I saw was her falling to the ground, so...yeah. I think so." Aang flinched at this; Katara knew that as an Air Nomad, killing another person or creature was unforgivable if he ever did that (which was too ridiculous to think about). "When that man approached the baby, he tried using that same green light on him again. But get this: the green light bounced off of him and went right back at him, making him disappear!"

Both of them were silent as they paused to think this over; what exactly happened to make the baby defeat that evil pale man? What had he done? And how did Aang dream about the pale man and the baby so easily?

But they didn't have any time to brood about this, for they saw that today was the day they and Toph get to meet Harry Potter. This was also the day when they could get him a birthday present and get themselves some school supplies in the process. But first, they had to get some breakfast and get freshened up for meeting with Harry and this Rubeus Hagrid person.

So Katara got out of bed and, before she could get dressed, blushed when Aang saw her in her white sarashi. She had forgotten that she let him take off her Water Tribe clothes when they were ready to enter a supposed courtship. Even though she sometimes liked it when she was like this near him, she also wished that he didn't stare at her like a mule deer in the firelight.

"Aang...as much as I loved having you sleep in here with me, I really don't think you should stare at me like that," she told him with a warning tone in her voice.

Aang quickly broke out of his trance and went red in the face as he responded, "Sorry, Katara. It's just...didn't I ever tell you that you look beautiful in that swimsuit of yours?"

Katara smiled at this and purred, "Yes you did. And thanks."

Ever since they had entered their relationship, they had still been trying to dress or undress in front of each other. But they couldn't help but blush every time they would dress or undress; Suki had annoyed them playfully about that, but they guessed that she and Sokka did any of that. Plus, Katara knew that her brother and his girlfriend were near to getting married, so this could show that they could dress or undress each other in front of each other all they want.

So the two of them took a shower (it took some time to figure out what a shower did) and got dressed. They took their time, for they had all day to explore this strange new world with Harry Potter and this Rubeus Hagrid. Sokka, Suki, and Zuko wouldn't know one bit what they would be missing, but that was their problem.

**...**

By the time Aang and Katara got finished with their showers and got dressed, they met up with Toph at the bottom of the stairs of the Leaky Cauldron. But by the way the blind EarthBender was smiling at them, she must have felt them making out the other evening. Aang and Katara wished that they just went to sleep and dream about the next day, but what was done had already been done.

"How come you weren't howling each other's names last night?" Toph asked, a teasing smile on her face.

Katara felt uneasy as she chided her, "Be quiet! Plus, we didn't do...you know...last night."

Toph retorted casually, "Just saying. Besides, I felt you two making out in the next room!"

Aang warded off another quarrel as he said, "How about we get some breakfast now?" But he was also blushing about what his EarthBending friend just said to them.

So the three remaining Team Avatar members went over to the table that they were at yesterday and they waited for a little bit until some menus were brought over to them. Since the Air Nomad monks sometimes used eggs in their diet, Aang had ordered something that looked like the words "scrambled eggs". Katara ordered some kind of fish that was something called "kippers." And Toph just ordered a custard tart with cream filling.

While they were eating their breakfast, they watched as other witches and wizards came into the Leaky Cauldron. They were amazed to see that some looked normal with clothes that they had never seen before while others looked astonishing in their magical robes.

But while Aang, Katara, and Toph were finishing their breakfast, they felt the floor suddenly shake a little. At first, they thought it was an earthquake, but they knew it was just a small quake.

Then Toph said, "I just felt something huge step into here. It's that guy behind me," she added, pointing her finger over behind her. Aang and Katara looked over at where she was pointing to; when they saw this person, they were shocked to see this man.

This man looked like an oddly large EarthBender and he looked much less like an EarthBender than he thought. His face was almost completely hidden by a long shaggy mane of black hair and a wild tangled beard. He was wearing a large brown coat, his brown boots were around the same size as dolphin-porpoises and he was carrying a pink umbrella with him. But his dark black eyes, which looked like ant-beetles, were filled with gentleness and humor in them.

Beside him was a small thin-looking boy with bright almond-shaped green eyes, broken glasses, long untidy black hair, and ragged clothes. But the main thing that made Aang and Katara gasp was the scar on his forehead; it was cleanly cut and shaped like a bolt of lightning. Katara recalled the old Headmaster of Hogwarts saying something about this; this boy had to be Harry Potter.

_It has to be_, she thought. Then the maternal instincts came to her as she thought, _And look how thin he is! He'll need something to eat._

Meanwhile, the bartender named Tom noticed them and asked the giant, "The usual, Hagrid?"

"Can't, Tom," the giant told him, clasping his hands onto the young boy's shoulders and making his knees buckle. "I'm on Hogwarts business."

The bartender gazed closely at the boy and murmured, "Good Lord, is this...can it be?" As the bar went quiet, Tom rasped, "Bless my soul...Harry Potter...what an honor..."

Aang, Katara, and Toph nodded to each other, left their unfinished mugs of tea behind at their table, and walked over towards Hagrid and Harry. They could hear several people push their chairs back to see the young boy in hopes of seeing him. The youngster was now shaking hands with the old bartender.

"Welcome back, Mr. Potter," Tom told him, a tear leaking out of his eye. "Welcome back."

An old woman with a pipe was puffing on it without realizing that it had gone out. Hagrid was beaming while everyone was pushing over to the front of the crowd, wanting to shake hands with Harry. Team Avatar managed to walk over to the two visitors without much attention from the other people in the pub; one person did notice Aang's arrow tattoos before turning back to Harry.

All around Aang, Katara, and Toph, people were greeting Harry as if he were an old friend.

"Doris Crockford, Mr. Potter. Can't believe I'm meeting you at last," one old woman said.

Other voices followed her greetings like "So proud, Mr. Potter. I'm just so proud..." or even "Always wanted to shake your hand. I'm all of a flutter."

Finally, an undersized man with a bowler hat squeaked, "Delighted, Mr. Potter. Just can't tell you. Diggle's the name. Dedalus Diggle."

Harry finally yelped, "I've seen you before! You bowed to me once in a shop!"

Dedalus Diggle's top hat fell off as he looked around excitedly at everyone. "He remembers! Did you hear that? He remembers me!"

Suddenly, to Team Avatar's surprise, Hagrid was looking over at the sea of waves and was smiling towards them. It seemed that he was beckoning them over to greet their new fellow student. After a quick nod towards each other, the three remaining members of Team Avatar cautiously walked over to the center of the crowd.

Now Katara looked up to see that Hagrid was, without a doubt, a giant of a man; he looked as if he was around nine or ten feet tall. As for her and Aang themselves, they were around the same height because Aang was now at eye-level with her, but they were a little less than six feet tall. While Toph was nearly the same height as Harry, she was a bit taller than him.

"Harry, these are yer new schoolmates. Their names are Aang, Katara, and Toph," Hagrid was telling the other boy with a smile. "And as fer you three, this here is Harry Potter. Wait a sec," he added as he looked them over. "Where's the rest o' yeh?"

"They went back," Toph told him frankly. "They were too possum-chicken to stay here."

Hagrid looked around at her with bewilderment while Aang and Katara introduced themselves politely to Harry. Around them, the people in the pub started greeting them kindly; some accepted them with some mistrust, but others quickly befriended them.

Aang went first by shaking his hand and saying, "Hey Harry! I'm Aang! I'm an AirBender!"

Katara pulled him gently back when she saw the confused look on Harry's face before shaking his hand also. "Sorry about that. My name's Katara, and I'm Aang's girlfriend; I'm the one who keeps him in line. It's an honor to meet you."

"Toph's the name," Toph finally said, holding out her hand for him to shake.

"Hello," Harry replied respectfully as he shook the blind EarthBender's hand. "Hagrid told me six of you were coming."

"Well, like Toph said, they were too possum-chicken to come," Katara told him. "It's a long story, so we'll tell you along the way."

Before Harry or Hagrid could say anything, another person had stepped forward to greet Harry. This person was a pale young man whose eye was slightly twitching. Aang, Katara, and Toph had met some people on their journey who had looked crazy. Even Azula, who had become fatally insane before she was taken away to an asylum in the Fire Nation, counted as crazy.

"Professor Quirrell!" Hagrid greeted him cheerfully. "Harry, Aang, Katara, and Toph, Professor Quirrell will be one of yer teachers at Hogwarts."

Professor Quirrell gulped nervously before greeting the four kids in a stuttering way, "P-P-Potter and fr-fr-friends. C-can't t-tell you how p-pleased I am to meet you." He shook Harry's hand and let go quickly before he did the same with Team Avatar.

"What sort of magic do you teach, Professor Quirrell?" Harry asked in interest.

"D-Defense Against the D-D-Dark Arts," Quirrell muttered as if he didn't want to talk about it. "N-Not that you three n-need it, eh?" He laughed timidly before going on, "You'll be g-getting all your equipment, I suppose? I've g-got to p-pick up a new b-book on vampires myself."

But by the look of fright on his face, Team Avatar could tell that he didn't want to do that. And the other people didn't want Quirrell to take the lion's share of Harry's attention for himself, for they were trying to shake his hand again. Feeling that Harry didn't like all this attention, Aang and Katara pulled him away gently from the crowd.

Finally, Hagrid called over the rabble, "Must get on, lots ter buy. Come on, Harry. And yeh three can come along if yeh'd like."

Aang, Katara, and Toph looked at each other as if they didn't know what to say. Finally, Toph said, "Hey, Dumbledore said that Big Guy can come along with us." They gave her a confused look, so she added, "That's my nickname for him."

The old woman named Doris Crockford came forward to shake Harry's hand once more before the young wizard was escorted out of the crowd by Hagrid. Then the giant turned around to beckon Aang, Katara, and Toph to follow them out to the courtyard. Not sure what to say, they followed Hagrid and Harry out of the pub and into the courtyard.

Katara looked around her and almost shrunk back at the state of the courtyard. It had weeds growing all over the place while something that looked like it had garbage in it was standing right against the wall. She felt that Pygmy Pumas could make their home right here, for those small cats were able to adjust well to urban living. Anyways, she wondered who lived here, because she had an itch to tell them to take care of their house some more.

"Told yeh, didn't I?" Hagrid was telling Harry, smiling down at him. "Told yeh you was famous. Even Professor Quirrell was tremblin' ter meet yeh...and yeh three also. Mind you, he's usually tremblin.'"

"Is he always that nervous?" Harry asked Hagrid.

Toph added, "Must be. I could feel his heart beating fast from where I was standing." When Harry turned towards her, she explained, "I can use EarthBending to see with my feet. It's as if there are extra eyes under the soles of my feet."

Hagrid laughed and told her, "Yeh'll have no problem gettin' round Hogwarts then, Toph. Anyways, Harry, he is. Poor bloke. Brilliant mind. He was fine while he was studyin' outta books, but then he took a year off ter get some first-hand experience. They say he met vampires in the Black Forest, and there was a nasty bit o' trouble with a hag...never been the same since. Scared of the students, scared of his own subject. Now where's me umbrella?"

"How can he be scared of students or his own subject?" Aang asked the giant with interest.

"They say the Defense Against the Dark Arts class is cursed, see," Hagrid told him. "Teachers often come round for one year and...poof! They're gone faster than yeh can say 'Hogwarts!' Now as for me umbrella..."

The three members of Team Avatar glanced at one another with uneasiness. It seemed that this Defense Against the Dark Arts class needed to be more studied than they thought.

Anyways, Hagrid was muttering things like "Three up...two across..." and other stuff like that. Finally, he tapped the wall three times with the tip of his umbrella, stepped back, and told the kids, "Right, stand back, kids."

Suddenly, the brick he had touched quivered and wriggled, and a small hole appeared all of a sudden in the middle. It grew bigger and wider, and a second later, they were facing an archway big enough for Hagrid to fit through. It was an archway on a cobblestone street that twisted and turned out of sight.

Hagrid grinned at the shock on the kids' faces and told them, "Welcome to Diagon Alley."

They stepped through the arch, but Katara heard some kind of collapsing noise behind her and she turned around to see what it was. The wall right behind them was crumbling behind them until it had shrunk back into a normal wall. She made a mental note to herself to remember that Harry's world was different from the one she, Aang, and Toph came from.

The sun was shining brightly on a stack of pots called cauldrons outside the shop that was the closest to the small group. There was a sign hanging over them that read:

_Cauldrons: All Sizes_

_Copper, Brass, Pewter, Silver_

_Self-Stirring_

_Collapsible_

"Yeah, all four of yeh will be needin' one of those fer each," Hagrid told them. "But we gotta git yer money first."

At the sound of that, Katara dug into the Water Tribe bag slung over her shoulder and trawled several coins out of there. She looked down at the gold and silver coins and frowned; after the War, she and Aang had gotten some money as thanks from people they helped on their travels. Katara wasn't sure if this money was good enough in the Wizarding world, so she felt that she could ask Hagrid about this.

"Hagrid?" The giant turned to her as she spoke. Then she held the coins out and went on, "May you look at these coins, please? I don't think they're good for what we have to buy."

Hagrid gently took the coins from her and studied them carefully. Then he handed them back and chuckled, "I ain't no goblin, but what in Merlin's name are yeh on about, Katara? They look like normal Galleons and Sickles ter me."

Katara looked down at the coins once more and gasped; in some way, the design of the coins had changed to something foreign. _This must be the design of the money in the Wizarding World_, she thought as she placed the money back into her bag.

The Water Tribe girl looked around her and wished she had eight more eyes like a spider-snake. She turned around to every route as they walked up the street, trying to look at everything at once: the shops, the things outside them, and the people doing their shopping for things. A plump woman outside another shop was shaking her head as they passed, saying, "Dragon liver, sixteen Sickles an ounce! They're mad..."

A low soft hooting noise made Katara look to see a dark-looking shop with a sign saying _Eeylops Owl Emporium: Tawny, Screech, Barn, Brown, and Snowy_. Across from there, some boys about Harry's age had their noses pushed against a window with brooms in it.

"Look!" one of them was saying. "The new Nimbus Two Thousand! Fastest ever!"

There were shops selling robes, shops selling telescopes and strange silver instruments Harry and Team Avatar had never seen before. There were windows stacked with barrels of bat spleens and eels' eyes, tottering piles of spell books, quills, and spools of parchment, potion bottles, globes of the moon...

"Gringotts," Hagrid was saying proudly.

Katara looked away from some wizards' hats to see that they had reached a white building that towered over the other little shops. Standing beside its glittery bronze doors, wearing a uniform of scarlet and gold, was...

"Yeah, that's a goblin," Hagrid was telling Harry quietly. To Team Avatar, as they walked up the white stone steps to him, he said, "That's a goblin, kids. They run the bank called Gringotts."

The goblin was quite ugly; it was just about a head shorter than Harry. He had a leathery shrewd face, a pointed beard and, Harry and Team Avatar noticed, very long fingers and feet. He bowed as they walked inside. Now they were facing a second pair of doors, silver this time, with words inscribed upon them:

_Enter, stranger, but take heed_

_Of what awaits the sin of greed,_

_For those who take, but do not earn,_

_Must pay most dearly in their turn._

_So if you seek beneath our floors_

_A treasure that was never yours,_

_Thief, you have been warned, beware_

_Of finding more than treasure there._

"Like I said, yeh'd be mad ter try an' rob it," Hagrid whispered to Harry.

Katara observed the warning sign with curiosity; this would be the kind of thing that Wan Shi Tong, a giant black-&-white owl spirit, could have used instead of sinking an ancient library into the desert sand. But she couldn't help but shudder at the thought of someone stealing from the Gringotts bank. It would be the wrong thing to do, stealing from a bank even though she just learned what a bank was, but she wondered who would be desperate to steal from this place.

_I hope no one steals from that bank._

A pair of goblins bowed them through the silver doors and they were in a vast marble hall. About a hundred more or so goblins were sitting on high stools behind a long counter, writing in large ledgers, balancing coins in brass scales, and observing precious stones through monocles. There were too many doors to count leading off the hall, and yet more goblins were showing people in and out of these. Hagrid, Harry, and Team Avatar made for the counter.

"Morning," Hagrid told a goblin. "We've come ter take money outta Mr. Harry Potter's safe."

The goblin looked at him warily. "You have his key, sir?"

Hagrid replied, "Got it here somewhere."

And at that, he started emptying his pockets onto the counter, scattering a handful of something that looked like moldy stuff over the goblin's book of numbers. The goblin wrinkled his nose and so did Katara; she respected the giant now, but she wished he cleaned up after himself some more. But she decided to busy herself by watching the goblin on their right weighing a pile of rubies as big as glowing coals.

"Got it," Hagrid declared at last, holding up a little golden key.

The goblin looked at it closely. "That seems to be in order."

"An' I've also got a letter here from Professor Dumbledore," Hagrid added notably, throwing out his chest like he was a chief of the Water Tribe. He handed the letter to the goblin and whispered, "It's about the You-Know-What in vault seven hundred and thirteen."

The goblin read the letter sensibly and handed it back to Hagrid. "Very well. I will have someone take you down to both vaults. Griphook!"

Griphook was the name of another goblin that came forward. Once Hagrid packed all the dog biscuits back inside his pockets, he and Harry followed Griphook to one of the doors leading off the hall. Hagrid had asked Team Avatar if they would like to come, but they said they would wait outside the bank for them. Besides, their money had already changed to wizard money.

"What's the You-Know-What in vault seven hundred and thirteen?" Katara heard Harry ask.

"Can't tell yeh that," Hagrid replied oddly. "Very secret. Hogwarts business. Dumbledore's trusted me. More'n my job's worth ter tell yeh that."

And off they went.

**...**

It was taking quite a while for Harry and Hagrid to get out of Gringotts, so Team Avatar took time to walk around to look at these strange shops and find Harry a birthday present. Everything around them looked (felt for Toph) totally different from their world, from different animals to the way the people spoke. So they managed to find a nearby library and borrowed a few books on this new place called England; they also borrowed an encyclopedia of animals to learn about the creatures of this world.

While they waited patiently for Hagrid and Harry to arrive out of Gringotts, Aang, Katara, and Toph were talking about what they learned from the books they borrowed. Even though Toph couldn't read at all because of being blind, she had been amazed by the facts about England, especially with all the rocks there that she could throw. Also, they had already gotten their witch and wizard robes from a shop called Madame Malkin's Robes For All Occasions.

"This place is really mind bending...if you'll pardon the pun," Katara was telling Aang and Toph as they walked down the Diagon Alley path. "But I'm really happy we came here!"

"You planning on moving here? 'Cause I've seen some snotty rich brat and his parents walk by, and he made fun of my blindness," Toph replied.

Aang, who was gazing at amazement at the owls in the Owl Emporium, asked her jokingly, "Weren't you like that once? Maybe you could give him lessons on that."

Toph turned on him, growling, "No way! Why would I be like those poodle-monkeys?"

Katara sighed before turning towards her boyfriend. "Aang, please apologize to Toph."

"Why? I didn't mean to!" Aang told her in a slight whiny voice.

"Just apologize," Katara repeated with another sigh.

Aang then faced Toph and said with a voice filled with shame, "I'm sorry, Toph."

Toph just shrugged before going over to look over back at Gringotts. The problem, however, was that she was looking the wrong way; instead, she was looking to another shop where some person was selling boiling liquid. But she didn't mind this at all, for she was used to it.

But then the blind EarthBender felt a familiar set of footsteps come around one of the shops. She never knew that this person could come here after what had happened a few ages ago. To get him over to her spot, she stomped her right foot onto the ground, causing earth to toss the surprised person over to her. She almost wished that she could squeeze him to death for how he left, but there was just no need for that.

"Hey Sokka! How've you been?" she asked him as if she was complimenting the weather.

"Toph! What're you doing here?" Sokka asked her with surprise at being thrown over to them.

But suddenly, they heard Katara's voice say coldly, "That's the question we should ask you. What are YOU doing here? I thought you didn't want to come here because of the war!"

Sokka turned towards his sister and said, "Look, I'm sorry I left you guys here, okay? Now how about we have those stewed sea prunes for dinner later on?"

But Katara's voice didn't change its cold tone; she went on, "You're going to have to do more than that to make us trust you; we weren't the ones who left here like runaways. We were just going to get Harry a birthday present and we were doing fine until you showed up!"

"I was looking for a present for him too!" Sokka told her, his voice slowly rising to a whine. "You can't deny me that, right?"

"And why should we believe that?" his sister retorted, her voice still as cold as ice.

Still, Toph could feel that even though Katara still had that cold voice, she knew that she really wasn't mad at her brother now. Instead, she seemed to be inwardly relieved and happy that he had come; the WaterBender must have disguised her voice to mask her happiness. But it would just be a matter of time before she let it all out.

_I got a way._

Slyly, she walked up to Katara's side, nudged her shoulder, and told her, "I thought you were excited to see him again?"

"But he left us alone here! What else do you want me to feel?" Katara snapped at her.

"Just saying. I thought family was important to you, that's all," Toph remarked, shrugging.

She had said this to her because she recalled Sokka telling her a story about how he and Katara nearly deserted Aang to find their father. When he hid a map from them, they were furious and disappointed in him, so they abandoned him for a bit. Only then when Sokka realize that Aang was very important to them as family did they go back and apologize to him. But as for the present situation, she wasn't sure if Katara would believe her brother's explanations.

But Toph could feel the anger inside her friend evaporate away, replaced by joy and exasperation. She could hear some shuffling and then a relieved sigh as the two siblings of the Water Tribe hugged each other.

"You're forgiving me that easily?" Sokka asked his sister in surprise.

"Of course I do, you idiot!" Katara said, a mixture of delight and exasperation in her voice. "Sure, you've done something senseless like leaving us without a farewell, but I'm still happy you're with us now!"

Sokka just shivered with relief and said, "You're the best sister a guy could have, you know that?" Then he ended up kissing her on the cheek.

Katara gently pushed him away, muttering, "Easy there, big brother!" Then, with a smile, she added, "But you're right; I AM the best sister!"

Toph could hear Aang walk forth and embrace his friend before she did the same thing herself alongside with Katara; this was their group hug, to show that their bond would never break.

"But how'd you get back here?" Aang asked him as they broke apart.

The Water Tribe teenager stayed silent for a moment before saying, "You know, as soon as we left you guys in this world, I guess I kinda regretted leaving you here. When I told them this, Suki told me 'There's no way you're gonna leave them, right?' Then she kissed me and said she'll wait for me to come back...and to beat bad guy butts while I was at it!" he added proudly.

"Who escorted you around?" Toph asked him.

"Well, this guy with a few scratches on his face escorted me around Diagon Alley," Sokka went on. "He said his name was Remus Lupin and that he was on Dumbledore's side. He helped me get some supplies for Hogwarts and get Harry a present for his birthday; it's like that _Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them_ book, except it was with animals from our world. It was called _Amazing Animals And What They Are_."

Katara raised an eyebrow and stated, "Really? I made him a hat made from green-painted Polar Leopard furs and some fishing lines; it's to keep his head warm under his wizard hat during the winter. And NO, I didn't use your fishing line, Sokka."

Aang piped up, "And I got him this neat feather quill from a Raven-Eagle." The other three just stared at him in confusion, and he added defensively, "What? It'll suit him!"

"And I got him part of my space earth to use," Toph concluded. "He can ask me whatever he needs it for and I can Bend it for him!"

So they all agreed that these gifts were perfect for Harry.

_To be continued..._

**...**

**AvatarCat11: Okay, let me get this straight. This will be divided into two parts. This is the first part and the last part will be the next chapter. And what I explained in the summary of this chapter will be partly explained in the next chapter.**

**So if anyone wants to review and leave a comment, you're more than welcome to. Just no flames or they will be put out with WaterBending. However, constructive criticism (just don't make it TOO harsh) can be allowed.**

**And here's the summary for the next chapter: Diagon Alley Part 2!**

**Summary: We leave off the part when Team Avatar continues their shopping with Harry and Hagrid.**

**See ya next time!**


	4. Diagon Alley part 2

**AvatarCat11: Well, I hope some of you are enjoying this story so far! Because I'm still gonna update this chapter! I was gonna have it as a full story just it'd have (as Vegeta so kindly told us) OVER NINE THOUSAND words, but I decided not to.**

**Enough of that, though. I hope people are happy that Sokka's back, but let's get on with the disclaimer, summary, and updating date.**

**Disclaimer: We should all know that I will never own Avatar: The Last AirBender. I just like to surprise myself.**

**Summary: Now that Sokka is back with Team Avatar, Team Avatar continues their job in keeping up with Harry and Hagrid. Along the way, Katara hears about Harry's past and feels bad for the way the Dursleys did to him. And at the wand shop, Aang receives a very shocking surprise.**

**Updating Date: August 14, 2011**

**Enjoy!**

**...**

_Diagon Alley (part 2)_

When this was all done, Sokka joined them in waiting for Hagrid and Harry outside of the Gringotts bank. Katara was more than happy that her brother was now joining them on this mission; nothing would be the same (or funnier) if he wasn't around. They were a little bit disappointed that this Remus Lupin couldn't join them, for he important matters to attend to, but they understood him.

Finally, Katara watched as Hagrid and Harry arrived out of Gringotts; Hagrid was looking quite sick for some odd reason. The Water Tribe girl thought of asking him so that she could find something to heal him, but she decided to not say anything. This giant seemed to be a robust character and he could heal after a while.

Sokka, meanwhile, almost made his eyes pop out of his head when he saw Hagrid approaching them. His sister knew that he knew that they had encountered large EarthBenders like the Big Bad Hippo or The Boulder before. But this man was completely new for Sokka.

"So what've yeh kids been up since while we were at Gringotts?" Hagrid asked Team Avatar. Immediately seeing Sokka and shaking his entire arm, he greeted him, "So yeh've come back, have yeh? Good thing too!"

"Yeah," Sokka groaned when Hagrid released his arm. He rubbed his sore arm and added, "Good to meet you too." To his friends, he whispered, "This guy's got some muscle! We should let him and The Boulder hang out together sometime! They'll be the perfect penpals!"

Now it was time for Team Avatar to hand Harry his birthday gifts; they decided to present their gifts one at a time based on their height. Aang had grown a little taller than Katara, but he was still quite shorter than Sokka. So it went from Toph as the first one to Katara to Aang and then to Sokka as the last one. Harry had politely accepted his gifts and he had some confusion when he saw the gifts, but he seemed to like them a lot because he thanked them very much.

Sometime later, they had stopped by the same place that Team Avatar (and Sokka with Lupin from earlier) had gone to earlier: Madame Malkin's Robes For All Occasions.

"Might as well get yer uniform," Hagrid spoke to Harry, nodding toward the mentioned shop. "Listen, Harry, would yeh mind if I slipped off fer a pick-me-up in the Leaky Cauldron? I hate them Gringotts carts."

He did still look a bit sick, so Harry entered Madam Malkin's shop alone, feeling nervous. But he wasn't just going in alone at that moment.

"Hey Harry," Katara said to him. "Do you want us to come in with you? So that Hagrid could freshen up, you know?"

Harry nodded, and the five of them went inside.

Madam Malkin was a squat, smiling witch dressed all in mauve. "Hogwarts, dear?" she said when Harry began to speak. "Got the lot here...another young man being fitted up just now, in fact."

"Good. Maybe you can make a new friend," Aang told Harry, who still looked nervous.

In the back of the shop, a boy with a pale pointed face was standing on a footstool while a second witch pinned up his long black robes. Madam Malkin stood Harry on a stool next to him slipped a long robe over his head, and began to pin it to the right length. It looked like it could take quite a while for the young wizard to finish up with his robes.

So, deciding that they should just wait for him to finish up, Team Avatar sat on some nearby chairs and busied themselves for a while. Aang and Katara were reading together in an animal book they bought from a bookstore nearby, Sokka was glancing swiftly at the twosome before looking away when they saw him, and Toph just fell fast asleep, snoring a little more loudly than needed.

"Hello," the new boy began speaking. "Hogwarts, too?"

"Yes," said Harry.

The boy then spoke in a casual drawling voice, "My father's next door buying my books and Mother's up the street looking at wands. Then I'm going to drag them off to look at racing brooms. I don't see why first years can't have their own. I think I'll bully Father into getting me one and I'll smuggle it in somehow."

_Never mind, Harry. I don't think you'll want to be friends with this boy, _Katara almost said in an out-loud motherly tone, but she didn't. Now wasn't the right time to start judging others quickly; now was the time to find out what this boy was like.

"Have _you _got your own broom?" the boy went on.

"No."

"Play Quidditch at all?"

"No," Harry said again.

Katara looked up at them and frowned at this; was this boy trying to make Harry feel stupid on purpose?

"_I _do. Father says it's a crime if I'm not picked to play for my house, and I must say, I agree," the boy went on with a smirk on his face. "Know what house you'll be in yet?"

"No," Harry said yet again.

The boy shrugged at this and said, "Well, no one really knows until they get there, do they? But I know I'll be in Slytherin; all our family have been. Imagine being in Hufflepuff! I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?"

Harry just made a commenting murmur. Katara wished that he could say something interesting to this boy. When she felt someone tapping her shoulder, she turned to see that it was Sokka doing it.

"Just to let you know: Those two names are two of the Houses at Hogwarts. Lupin told me that," he spoke with pride in his voice. "Plus, there's also Gryffindor and Ravenclaw."

After a few more moments, things didn't look quite well as the boy insulted Hagrid a little and even insulted his parents a little. He even said that people who weren't born into wizarding families weren't to be permissible into Hogwarts, which made Katara angry at him, even though she wanted to respect others' opinions. There was no way that this boy would get away next time she ever saw him.

To Team Avatar, the boy asked them with a bit of a snooty air, "And who are YOU?"

"Who are YOU then?" Sokka retorted.

Katara silenced him with a look before she told the boy, "We're friends of his. We already got our robes and we're waiting for him to finish."

But the look the boy gave her and her friends gave them the impression that he was looking at them with digust as if they were flies. They didn't like that look at all; it disgusted them in return And when Madam Malkin gave Harry his set of robes, Katara and the others were more than happy to escort Harry away from that other boy.

When that was done, they did some more shopping for Harry including books, quills, various stuff, and a female Snowy Owl for him and a toad for Toph. The blind EarthBender had explained that even though she knew that toads were unpopular, she could tell where it was in the castle if she lost it; plus, she named it Boulder just for the heck of it.

After he and Hagrid had talked about several things at Hogwarts, Katara noticed that Harry looked a little down about his parents. She felt the same way he did, for her mother, Kya, was killed by a Fire Nation soldier named Yon Rha. But it seemed that he didn't need help from her right away because Hagrid was the source of relief for him for right now.

But she decided to ask him this: "So who do you live with, Harry?"

Harry looked down as he mumbled, "I live with my aunt, uncle, and cousin."

"Really?" Katara asked him, happy that someone was caring for him. "That must be so sweet of them to do this for your mom and dad."

But Harry interrputed her, "Actually, they don't really take good care of me that much. They do give me some food and shelter and clothes, even if they're old, but they don't really like me that much. They just spoil their son rotten while they leave me behind."

Katara gasped in shock about this and exchanged looks with her friends, who had listened and had the exact same expressions on their faces. Of course Toph's parents were a little too overprotective, but Harry's relatives were just neglecting their only living relative. Out of habit (but usually shown), she pulled Harry close to her and gave him a warm embrace, followed by the other three.

Then she told Harry, "I can't believe they'd do that to you. I promise you that we'll help you out in any way. Also, a person knows where their place is at. And right now, it's with you," she added, copying one of her father's lines.

Hagrid was smiling down at them as he said, "Yeh're right 'bout that, Katara. Them Muggles don't know magic if it sat up an' bit 'em on the chin. Anyways, it's time to git yer wands."

Some wands. Those were what Harry and Team Avatar were hoping to see.

**...**

The last shop was quite narrow and shabby. Peeling gold letters over the door read _Ollivander's: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C_. A single wand lay on a stonewashed purple cushion in the dusty window. At first, Katara had no idea what B.C. meant, but Harry said that it meant Before Christ; she understood now, but she still didn't know who that Christ person was, though.

**(Author's Note: Don't look at me. They came from a different world.)**

A tinkling bell rang somewhere in the depths of the shop as they stepped inside. It was a tiny place, empty except for a single skinny chair that Hagrid sat on to wait; Sokka looked amazed at how a giant could sit on a chair like that. Harry looked as if he had entered the very strict library of Wan Shi Tong; Katara wanted to comfort him, but she and Aang looked instead at the thousands of thin boxes piled carefully right up to the ceiling.

For some reason, the back of her neck prickled at the sight of this. The very dust and stillness in here seemed to burn with some kind secret magic, magic more powerful than Bending.

"Good afternoon," a soft voice suddenly said.

Harry, Katara, and the rest of Team Avatar jumped. Hagrid must have jumped too, for there was a loud crunching noise and he got quickly off the spindly chair, which was now in ruins. Sokka was snickering about that, but a glare from his younger sister made him quiet again.

An old man was now standing before them, his wide pale eyes shining like moons through the darkness of the shop. He looked a bit like an elderly Cat-Owl.

"Hello," Harry said quite uneasily.

The man smiled at him and said, "Ah yes. Yes, yes. I thought I'd be seeing you soon. Harry Potter. You have your mother's eyes. It seems only yesterday she was in here herself, buying her first wand. Ten and a quarter inches long, swishy, made of willow. Nice wand for charm work."

Mr. Ollivander moved closer to Harry. Katara was happy that she wasn't in his position; those silvery eyes did look a little creepy.

"Your father, on the other hand, favored a mahogany wand. Eleven inches. Pliable. A little more power and excellent for transfiguration. Well, I say your father favored it; it's really the wand that chooses the wizard, of course."

Mr. Ollivander had come so close that he and Harry were almost nose to nose. Harry could see himself reflected in those misty eyes. "And that's where..."

Mr. Ollivander fingered the lightning scar on Harry's forehead with a long white finger and said softly, "I'm sorry to say I sold the wand that did it. Thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Powerful wand, very powerful, and in the wrong hands. Well, if I'd known what that wand was going out into the world to do..."

He shook his head and then, to Harry's relief in Katara's own eyes, turned towards Team Avatar. "Welcome, young Benders. General Iroh had visited here to learn about this world, so I loaned him a wand of my own. Ten inches. Dragon heartstring. Oak. Quite strong, especially with his Dragon of the West title. I wonder which wands you four will choose along with Mr. Potter."

Then he spotted Hagrid. "Rubeus! Rubeus Hagrid! How nice to see you again! Oak, sixteen inches, rather bendy, wasn't it?"

"It was, sir, yes," Hagrid said.

"Good wand, that one. But I suppose they snapped it in half when you got expelled?" Mr. Ollivander asked him, suddenly sounding stern.

"Er...yes, they did, yes," Hagrid said, shuffling his feet. Then he added brightly, "I've still got the pieces, though."

"But you don't _use _them?" Mr. Ollivander asked him sharply.

Hagrid said quickly, "Oh no, sir." Katara, Aang, and Harry noticed that he was gripping his pink umbrella tightly as he spoke.

Mr. Ollivander made a pondering sound in his throat, giving Hagrid a piercing look. "Well now, Mr. Potter. Let me see." He pulled a long tape measure with silver markings out of his pocket. "Which is your wand arm?"

"Er...well, I'm right-handed," Harry said.

"Hold out your arm. That's it." To Team Avatar, he said, "I'll get to you four shortly."

He measured Harry from shoulder to finger, then wrist to elbow, shoulder to floor, knee to armpit, and round his head. As he measured him, he said, "Every Ollivander wand has a core of a powerful magical substance, Mr. Potter and Team Avatar. We use unicorn hairs, phoenix tail feathers, and the heartstrings of dragons. No two Ollivander wands are the same, just as no two unicorns, dragons, or phoenixes are quite the same. And of course, you will never get such good results with another wizard's wand."

As Harry was being measured, the tape measure, which was measuring between his nostrils, was doing this on its own. Mr. Ollivander was skimming around the shelves, taking down boxes.

"That will do," he said, and the tape measure creased into a pile on the floor. "Right then, Mr. Potter. Try this one. Beech wood and dragon heartstring. Nine inches. Nice and flexible. Just take it and give it a wave."

Harry took the wand and (looking uncertain about this) waved it around a little, but Mr. Ollivander snatched it out of his hand almost at once. Then he handed the wand to Sokka, who got the wand and tried it out; some blue sparks emitted out of it like the cloud of a bomb, so it seemed to be the wand for him.

"Maple and phoenix feather. Seven inches. Quite whippy. Try."

Harry tried...but he had barely raised the wand when it was snatched back by Mr. Ollivander once again.

"No, no," Mr. Ollivander said as he took the wand. But when Toph was handed the wand, she was happy with it with the dark emerald sparks flying from the end of it like fireworks, though she was blind. "Here, ebony and unicorn hair, eight and a half inches, springy. Go on, go on. Try it out."

Harry tried and tried over and over. He and Team Avatar had no idea what Mr. Ollivander was waiting for. The pile of tried wands was mounting higher and higher on the spindly chair, but the more wands Mr. Ollivander pulled from the shelves, the happier he seemed to become. And as for the third wand that Harry had to try, Katara got to use it and was satisfied with the icy blue sparks that flew from it like shattering ice.

Aang, meanwhile, was just watching patiently, but Katara knew better. She knew that her boyfriend was just dying to find his wand matchup.

"Tricky customer, eh?" Mr. Ollivander asked Harry with an amused tone. "Not to worry. We'll find the perfect match here somewhere. I wonder, now...yes, why not? Unusual combination." He took another wand from the shelf and handed it to him. "Holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple."

Harry took the wand and both Katara and Aang were amazed to see a swirl of crimson wrap The Boy Who Lived; Toph and Sokka, meanwhile, were cheerfully fighting over whose wand was better before they watched their new friend. Harry raised the wand above his head, brought it swishing down through the dusty air, and a stream of crimson and golden sparks shot from the end like a firework, throwing leaping spots of light onto the walls.

Hagrid whooped and clapped, Aang and Katara cheered happily for Harry and hugged each other for him, and Sokka and Toph turned to face him just in time. Then Mr. Ollivander cried, "Oh, bravo! Yes, indeed, oh, very good. Well, well, well... How curious... How very curious..."

He put Harry's wand back in its box and wrapped it up in some thin tannish brown paper, murmuring, "Curious...curious..."

"Sorry, but what's curious?" Harry asked him.

Mr. Ollivander fixed Harry with his pale stare. "I remember every wand I've ever sold, Mr. Potter. Every single wand. It so happens that the phoenix whose tail feather is in your wand, gave another feather, just one other. It is very curious indeed that you should be destined for this wand when its brother...why, its brother...gave you that scar. Yes, thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Curious indeed how these things happen. The wand chooses the wizard, remember. I think we must expect great things from you, Mr. Potter. After all, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things. Terrible, yes, but great."

"What about me?" Aang piped up, sounding eager to try a wand out.

"I'm sorry, Avatar Aang," Mr. Ollivander said, taking a different wand and handing it to Harry. "Try this one. It is eight and a half inches and it is flexible. It is made from another rare mixture of ash and phoenix feather."

So Katara watched with pride as the Avatar twirled the wand around the air with AirBending, but then she gasped with surprise as his arrows and eyes began glowing white when he seized the wand. In a flash, all four elements sprung forth from the wand and had the same effect as Harry's wand had. He had used the Avatar State, and it mixed in well with the wand; this was the wand for him.

Harry, Sokka, and Toph watched with awe before cheering for him while Hagrid came over to Aang and clapped him with gusto on the back before accidentally sending him to the floor face-first. Katara helped him back up onto his feet and embraced him tightly after his eyes and arrows stopped glowing.

"Great work, Aang! I'm so proud of you!" she praised him before they split apart. She would have kissed him here and there, but she decided that it wasn't a good idea. Sokka would go furiously insane over the kiss and it probably wasn't allowed in the shop. So she kissed him on the cheek like she did many times and they paid for their wands.

**...**

After all that was done, Hagrid had given Team Avatar their train tickets to get to the Hogwarts Express at Platform Nine And Three Quarters. Then the giant and Harry had walked off in the opposite direction of the wand shop.

So the four members of Team Avatar went back to the Leaky Cauldron to get some dinner from there; the food there was okay for its own standards. Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Toph spent the rest of their time after dinner by watching some more people come and go by. However, they were quite troubled about what Harry had told them about his relatives; they thought that they were just as stupid as Ozai to neglect their living kin like that.

Katara could feel the anger at these "Dursleys" boil like a pool of lava inside her belly. She felt like BloodBending them into defeat, but she quickly banished that thought as soon as she thought of it. After she had used BloodBending to stop Hama from making Aang and Sokka kill each other by accident, she promised to never BloodBend ever again. However, Katara did break her promise one time when she used it on a Fire Nation guard she thought was Kya's murderer. But like her friends, she wished she could do something to help him.

"Hey, I've decided on this!" Sokka was telling them as he leaned back in his chair. "When we come across this Voldawhatever one day, Aang can go into a little Avatar State butt-kicking mode and Harry can spice things up with his magic! He'll make a good new member of Team Avatar!"

"But we haven't ask him to join in," Katara reasoned with him. "Besides, I don't think he'll want to join us yet. What if he finds more friends?"

Sokka told her, "Easy. We can ask THEM and him if they want to join! It's easier than Toph learning to write!"

Toph replied, "Thanks, Sokka. I really needed...HEY!"

"And that's payback for my picture!" the Water Tribe warrior retorted.

Aang, meanwhile, looked really quiet and that was what made Katara worry about him. Sokka and Toph seemed to notice this too, for they had quite bickering and turned to face him. Their Avatar friend had been quiet ever since he had tried using his wand out at Ollivander's. Her natural maternal nature setting in, Katara got up from her seat and walked over to Aang, sitting down next to him and wrapping one arm around his shoulder.

"What's wrong, Aang? You can tell us," she told him, rubbing his shoulder.

For a few moments, Aang stayed silent, and then he said, "Back at the wand shop...when I was trying my wand out...I just went into the Avatar State." Then he asked her, "Do you remember when Mr. Ollivander said that those phoenix wands of Harry and Voldemort...sorry!" he quickly added, for the people next to them winced at the name.

"Anyways..." Aang began all over again, "Do you remember when Mr. Ollivander said that Harry's wand and You-Know-Who's wand had the same core with the phoenix feathers?" Katara nodded, so he went on, "I think that since my wand has a phoenix feather, I think it's also the same for it."

"What about my wand?" Toph spoke up. "Mine has the phoenix feather also."

Aang told her, "I felt your wands and they didn't share the same power as the wands Harry and I got. Maybe they're destined to work together one day."

Toph was silent for a few moments before she spoke. "You know what? It must be some other Avatar stuff you gotta work out. You do whatever. Just don't go confusing me with the Avatar State stuff."

Katara and Sokka swapped amused expressions with one another. It was very much like Toph to say something like that.

**...**

Soon, it was time to hit the sack when the sun went down, but not before Toph sent a spare Great Gray Owl from the Owl Emporium to her parents with a letter explaining where she was. Katara had promised her that she could tell her what spells she was using while at Hogwarts and what it would look like. She herself was very concerned about Harry; he would have to wait for around another month with the Dursleys.

But she got an idea.

Before she went off to her own room (because Sokka would accuse them of doing any sexual stuff), she walked over to Aang and kissed him good-night. And now was the right time to reveal her plan.

"Aang, I feel so bad for Harry. You know, him having to live with those so-called relatives of his," she told him. "I have an idea: How about we, just the two of us, go live with Harry and help him out until it's time for us to go to Hogwarts?" Smoothing her hand over his left cheek, she went on, "And while we're there, we can give them...well...a little...payback?"

However, Aang gave her a doubtful look as he said, "I...I don't know, Katara. I mean, would we soon become what they are right now?"

Katara dropped her gaze. This wasn't how her plan was coming out.

"Just kidding!" the Avatar suddenly spoke, giving her a reassuring kiss. "I think some payback should make them treat Harry better. But if it doesn't, we'll have to try harder. So when should we leave?"

"I was thinking maybe tomorrow after breakfast," Katara said. "But since we're in a new world, we need to ask someone for lessons of how to live like them."

Aang nodded and said, "Sure. We'll see if the plan works." He gave Katara a quick kiss on the lips and told her, "I'll see you tomorrow. Love you, Katara."

Katara nuzzled his cheek with her nose and replied, "Love you too, Aang. Good night."

Then the two went to their separate rooms for the night. They were going to make sure that their plan worked out well.

_To be continued..._

**...**

**AvatarCat11: I hope that you guys really liked this chapter; plus, I hope you're happy that Sokka's back with Team Avatar. And I was gonna include more to Harry and Malfoy's talk, but I wanted to cut this short. Now that's enough for now, although I anticipate seeing Aang and Katara messing with the Dursleys.**

**All right, if anyone reviews these two chapters that I updated, then you'll all receive virtual Gummy Sea Prunes or Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. And remember, flames will be used to make S'Mores. (Thinks for a bit) Man. It's been a while since I said that.**

**Oh, and one of our dogs, Tank, isn't with us anymore since he's been given away to our sister's ex-boyfriend's family. So anyone who reviews will be givin virtual light brown Dachshund plush dolls in honor of him.**

**Now here's the summary for the next chapter called A Life With The Dursleys.**

**Summary: Aang and Katara go over to the Dursleys' house and help out Harry while they mess with the Dursleys. But when Aang suddenly gets attacked, will Katara help him while revealing WaterBending to the Muggles?**

**See ya next time!**


	5. Life With The Dursleys

**AvatarCat11: Earlier, I had written some of chapter five on my laptop, but it became messed up and had to be fixed. And in the process, that part of chapter five became erased, so I have to start anew. But thankfully, this chapter's getting posted!**

**Now no more of this "woe is me" coming from my mouth. Now's the time for a new chapter of Avatar Aang And The Sorcerer's Stone! And on this chapter, Katara will have her hair loopies from Seasons 1 and 2. Those of you who wanted to see the hair loopies again, gimme a "BOO-YAH!"**

**Disclaimer: Never in my life will I ever own Avatar: The Last AirBender or Harry Potter. Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko, and J.K. Rowling own them.**

**Summary: ****Aang and Katara go over to the Dursleys' house and help out Harry while they mess with the Dursleys. But when Aang suddenly gets attacked, will Katara help him while revealing WaterBending to the Muggles?**

**Updating Date: October 27, 2011**

**Enjoy!**

**...**

_Life With The Dursleys_

"_WHAT? _That's suicide!"

Those words were spoken by Sokka himself when he, Aang, Katara, and Toph were in the Leaky Cauldron for breakfast the next morning. As soon as they said good-morning to the two members of Team Avatar, Aang and Katara told them everything about their plan. However, what the Water Tribe warrior had said made him stare at them in a shocked way.

Plus, Aang noticed this just this morning, but Katara's hairstyle seemed to be reverted back to her signature hair loopies. He knew she looked magnificent with her long glossy brown hair worn in a natural way, but he also liked the loopies. She looked quite natural like that...not to mention that she looked cute in it!

"Well, think about it," Katara explained to her brother. "Harry mentioned that his aunt and uncle don't care about him a lot, right? And his cousin's nothing but a fat lump of fat from what we heard, right? So I believe it's time to give them a taste of their own medicine."

Aang piped up, "She's right. If Harry is to be okay during the summer, we'll stay with him over the summer."

However, Sokka just said, "Well, even with that said, how're you two going to even try and get there? I mean, you can't just go around and say 'Excuse me, sir or ma'am? We're an AirBending Avatar and WaterBending master. We need directions on how to get to the house of The Boy Who Lived!'" He had said this with a sarcastic tone in his voice; sarcasm was one of his usual quirks. "They won't buy it for Bender. They could fall for it with normal people...like me, for example."

"Ha!" Toph commented snidely, making Sokka give her a suspicious stare.

"I was just passing out ideas!" Sokka argued back with her. "I'm just saying we can't go around in Harry's world with these clothes we have on!"

Aang and Katara exchanged guilty expressions at this. They hadn't thought of that while they described their plan this morning.

"Yeah. And besides, where do you think you're gonna get clothes to fit in?" Toph went on. "It's not as if there's a clothes shop for normal people in Diagon Alley."

However, what the blind EarthBender just said made Aang look towards her in shock. He had not even thought of that while he and Katara were discussing their plan; plus, he hadn't seen any shop of normal clothes because of excitement. But they needed to find it again just in case.

So he asked Toph, "Did you find where this shop was?"

Leaning back and resting her feet on the table, she replied, "I felt it near that wand shop. I can sense where buildings made of rock or earth are at. That counts for anything else that's metal."

"So we just go back to Diagon Alley and get to that clothes shop, right?" the Avatar said.

"I suppose we do," Katara replied, laying a soothing hand on her boyfriend's shoulder. "Besides, anyone would think twice before messing with a master WaterBender or even..." she gave Aang a sly look and a warm smile, "... maybe even a fully-realized Avatar."

Aang couldn't help but blush as soon as he heard this. It was a big kudos to him being called a fully realized Avatar. After the Hundred Year War had come to an end, Aang had started taking his job seriously since he was helping Zuko help the world recover. Despite this, however, he was also able to live the normal life of a teenager in his world.

Speaking of Zuko, Aang had helped the Fire Lord search for his mother, who was banished by Ozai himself for supposedly killing Fire Lord Azulon. She had been found somewhere in the Earth Kingdom, living as a harmless loner and offering help to random travelers. When she had seen that her son had helped the Avatar stop the War once and for all, Ursa was more than happy to be accepted back into the Fire Nation.

"So I guess we should go then," Sokka announced, getting up from his chair and pushing it back under the table. "Better now than never."

Aang and Katara looked over at his plate of almost-finished food before Katara spoke up. "Sokka, you're not going to finish? Usually you eat until the plate's spotless!"

Her brother responded by taking a roll of bread into his mouth and saying with his mouth full, "Oof c'rse I am!" The three other members of Team Avatar exchanged grins with each other before they followed him out of the Leaky Cauldron.

When they went out to the yard behind the bar, Sokka pulled his recently-found space sword out of its sheathe and pointed it at the wall. But while he was tapping it more than a few times, Aang and Katara gazed on in a slightly worried way. They weren't sure if this was going to work. It worked with Hagrid and his umbrella, but with a space-sword? This was conceivably something worth seeing.

But to their amazement and relief, the brocks started to fall away from the wall and the wall itself slid to the side. In front of them was the usual brightness of the entrance to Diagon Alley. It was a very bright and sunny day with just a few white clouds scattered here and there in the sky like the spots of a leopard-cow. There were still people shopping here and there among the stores lined up across from each other, and up ahead was the marble white building of Gringotts.

Soon enough, they found the Muggle clothing shop next to Mr. Ollivander's wand shop. While Aang and Katara picked out some clothes to get dressed up in, Sokka and Toph waited by the counter near the entrance of the shop. Something on a nearby bookshelf caught Sokka's eye as soon as he plopped down into a chair.

It was a hunting book.

"Hmmm..." he muttered as he picked it up. "I _am _a fan of hunting." Holding it in front of Toph, he asked her, "What do you think?"

"How should I know?" the blind EarthBender retorted sharply at him. "I'm BLIND, remember?"

That remark made Sokka look at her in a funny way before muttering, "Sorry." Then when she gave him a punch on the shoulder, he added, "I deserved that, huh?"

Toph shrugged. "Maybe."

After that little scene was over, it was time for Aang and Katara to show themselves in their new world clothes. They had changed behind bright purple curtains so that other people wouldn't see them while they changed their outfits. First off, it was Aang who came out from behind the changing curtain.

The Avatar was wearing the usual coloring of clothes the Air Nomads wore: orange and yellow. To hide his arrow tattoo from the Dursleys, he was wearing an orange cap that he decided to wear backwards to hide the stripe on the back of his head. He had on a yellow sleeveless shirt with a thin orange jacket and orange jeans to match. He also wore yellow shoes and he had yellow fingerless gloves.

But when Aang observed himself in the mirror, he felt somewhat mortified. Air Nomads usually dressed modestly as they lived their humble lives in the Southern Air Temple. Since he was the Avatar and the last AirBender, it was up to him to uphold his nation's lost customs. But for right now, he was dressing differently to help a friend.

"I'm ready, Aang. Are you?" Katara's voice came from behind another changing curtain.

"Yeah," Aang replied while he twirled a small ball of air on his finger. "I've been ready. Are you?"

There was no answer needed for that, for Katara had already come out from behind the changing curtain. When she said, "So how do I look?" Aang turned around and, when he saw her there, gaped at her with awe and amazement.

The Water Tribe teenager had her hair still plaited into a ponytail with her usual hair loopies. She was also wearing the coloring of clothes traditional for the Northern and Southern Water Tribes. Katara was wearing a light blue short-sleeved shirt with a thin dark blue jacket over it; she was also wearing a dark blue skirt which reached down to a bit below her knees. She had on some kind of light blue shoes called "crocs," and she was wearing a different kind of necklace (gold with a blue gem in the middle) for a bit.

Aang felt himself blush quite well when he saw her in her Muggle disguise. He had seen her in this light quite a few times and this was indeed one of those times.

"Wow..." Aang stammered as he saw her in this light as usual. "Katara, you look so...wow..."

Katara had a sly pretty smile on her face as she teased him playfully, "Why, I'm surprised to hear such a thing, Avatar Aang! I've been with you for almost two years and you can't say nice things about a lady?" Her eyes were filled with laughter as she went on, "You don't look that bad yourself."

Hearing that, it was Aang's turn to tease her playfully. "Who's not commenting a man now?"

"Okay, stop with the couple fight so we can pay for the clothes and blah-blah-blah," Sokka interrupted them, coming over to Aang and Katara and placing himself between them. "Can we leave now? I found this awesome book about hunting and I'm buying it to get this day over with. And you guys know I'm a big fan of hunting."

"You're like a fan of everything," Katara retorted, rolling her eyes.

But they didn't argue about that while Aang and Katara quickly changed back into their own clothes. After this was done, they went to pay for their stuff along with the new book Sokka was going to buy. Toph, however, didn't find anything interesting in the shop since she was blind, so Katara got her some kind of candy called "lemon drops", which she liked right away.

**...**

For the rest of their time in Diagon Alley, Team Avatar looked through through some other shops, looking for any spare school supplies they needed. When they asked Sokka if he needed an owl, he just said that Hawky would always be the hawk for him. So far with pets, Aang had Appa and Momo, Katara had Gin, and Toph got Boulder. But out of all of them, Hawky had never returned.

Then it was finally twelve o'clock, as the people in Harry's world would say. Aang and Katara exchanged some sorrowful glances with Sokka and Toph, for they agreed that they would leave at twelve in the afternoon. So they went back to the Leaky Cauldron and started packing up for a stay at the Dursleys.

"Katara, are you sure you want to go through this?" Aang asked her. He wanted to make sure if they were doing the right thing in helping Harry.

Katara gave him a firm look, bit it was replaced by sympathy as she replied, "I'm sure. I won't leave Harry if he needs our help."

But something about that last part made Aang say, "What do you mean 'if he needs our help?'"

"You know, if he really wants help from us. I mean, by the way he described his aunt and uncle, he'll need our help," his girlfriend explained. "Plus, he told me about how fat his cousin was. Now we'll get to see how fat he really is."

"Maybe as big as a pig-hippo," Aang laughed as they continued to pack.

When they finished packing their belongings and switched their clothes for their Muggle clothes, Aang and Katara went down the stairs to meet up with Sokka and Toph at a table. Sokka had a worried look on his face and Aang knew why he was worried. The Water Tribe teenager was very protective brother and easily angered if someone hurt Katara...even if it was an accident. The Avatar had learned this the hard way after he accidentally burned her.

Toph, however, looked quite calm in her own normal rock-like way. It seemed that out of all of Team Avatar, she was the only one who stayed calm about what was going on. But even though she was leaning back against her chair and resting her feet on the table, she did look anxious for what was happening by the way she molded some spare space earth back into a lump.

"You sure you know what to do?" Sokka asked his little sister as they exchanged hugs.

"Yep," she replied while breaking away from him. "Aang and I aren't leaving him behind. What about you two?"

Sokka pulled something out of his Water Tribe bag and pulled out a piece of scroll, holding it out for her to read. Katara took it and opened it up, reading it thoroughly, while Aang walked over to her side and read it along with her.

"_Dear Team Avatar,_

_I have heard from a message from an owl that two of you are staying with Harry for the rest of the summer. I see no problem in that, but I must warn those two to be careful. You must not display WaterBending, AirBending, or any other Bending in front of the Muggles. And for the remaining two, they can return to their world for the summer too. I reckon it might be dull staying at a pub for a month._

_I shall be seeing you four at Hogwarts on September 1._

_Sincerely, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore."_

"So when the letter says two of us go home, those two will be us, right?" Toph spoke up, getting up from her seat and joining the others.

"And the two others going to the Dursleys will be Katara and I," Aang added, looking back over the letter.

He looked over to see Sokka give Katara one more hug of the day and Toph gave her and Aang a friendly punch on the shoulder. And as usual, it was rough but loving at the same time.

"See you guys later," Sokka was telling Katara gently. "Love you, little sis."

"Love you too, big brother," Katara replied to her older brother.

Sitting back down, Toph told them, "Be good as you usually are, Sugar Queen. And I got something to say, Twinkletoes: Give 'em heck for me!"

Aang bowed in respect to his EarthBending Sifu. "I'll do just that, Toph. I'll do just that."

**...**

"That was easy," Katara commented as she and Aang got out of the new world bus. "I didn't know machines were run without EarthBending."

Getting onto the bus was quite easy, but paying for the bus was harder than they thought. Aang and Katara had learned that the people in Harry's world had currency called notes or pounds. So to get pounds, they both posed as street magicians and amazed the people with WaterBending and AirBending before paying for the bus.

Along the way to Number 4 Privet Drive, they saw many things in London and the area outside of it that amazed them. There was a large clock-like structure that rang loudly throughout the city and there were pastures with animals that looked like koala-sheep grazing in them. They could also see beautiful beaches, deep green woods, and even a few rocky hills along their way there.

Now here they were, just standing in the neat and tidy front yard of the Dursleys and unsure what to do now. Aang and Katara exchanged glances with one another before they walked up to the front door.

"Sooo...we knock?" Aang asked Katara.

Katara nodded while she took Aang's hand in hers as her other hand gripped the bag. "Yep. We knock."

And together, they knocked on the door.

From inside, they could hear a man's gruff voice bark, "Get the door, boy!"

_Boy? _Aang and Katara mouthed to each other in confusion.

But they didn't say anything else, for the door opened and Harry was now holding the door open. By the way his mouth was gaping and his green eyes widened with wonder, he was very surprised indeed.

"Aang? Katara?" Harry asked them in shock. "What're you two doing here?"

"Helping you out," Aang replied, bowing in respect to The Boy Who Lived. Seeing the puzzled look on Harry's face, he added, "When I bow, it means I show them respect. Well, you seem to have a lot already with the witches and wizards."

Harry stayed silent for a moment as if he was taking this in. Then he asked them, "How did you know where I lived?"

"You told us once, I think," Katara spoke up this time.

The two Benders watched as Harry beckoned them inside the house and they stepped inside. The inside of the house looked tidy and orderly; it looked like someone cleaned it every single minute to make it look perfect. Aang noticed the uneasy look on Katara's face. He knew that she could be motherly and a little snooty, but even she wouldn't be a clean freak since she had mud-wrestled with Toph once.

So Aang and Katara waited by the front door and waited patiently for Harry to return with his aunt and uncle. And a minute later, Harry came back in with them behind them. His uncle looked large and beefy with a bristly black mustache and small piggy eyes. His aunt was thin and had a face like an ostrich-horse with weak pale eyes. Both of them looked irritable and mean.

"Who are these, boy?" his uncle growled.

"Umm..." Harry stammered as if to remember their names. Then... "They're friends of mine from school, Uncle Vernon, and they'll be with me at Stonewall. Their names are...Zack and Mae. They're foreign exchange students."

Katara and Aang smiled at each other, pleased that they got good Muggle names. But Harry's bony aunt caught them as soon as they turned to each other.

"What are you two smiling about?" she snapped.

Harry interceded again, "Aunt Petunia, they're just happy to be here, that's all."

_That's not true! _Aang whined mentally, but he kept his mouth closed.

Uncle Vernon walked, or rather stomped, toward them and studied them closely with his mean little eyes. Aang felt that he would rather kiss Toph than be up close to this man's face.

"This young lady looks like one of those American indians," he snorted, waving his hand frivolously at a confused Katara. Then he marched over to Aang and added, "And...I don't see anything wrong with him. Except no hats or caps are to be allowed under this roof."

"Actually, sir, I can't move my cap," Aang told him. When Uncle Vernon raised an eyebrow, he explained, "I'm a foreign exchange student from..."

He could hear Harry whisper to him, "Tibet."

"Um, Tibet," Aang spoke for Harry. "And according to tradition, it would be rude if a hat was to be removed in a guest's home. Therefore, I have to keep mine on."

Aunt Petunia sniffed. She looked as if she didn't believe them.

There was a banging on the door and Aunt Petunia immediately thrilled, "Duddy must be home already!" She opened the door and another person walked in.

If there were any words Aang and Katara could call Harry's cousin, those words would be...ugly, fat, and obnoxious. He looked so overweight that he could stuff three medium-sized boulders in him. He had blond hair, small watery eyes, and five chins; Aang could hear Katara retch at the sight of this behemoth.

"Dudders, these two are Zack and Mae," Uncle Vernon stuttered at the swift clarification. "They are foreign exchange students from...Canada and Tibet."

The fat child didn't say anything. But what he did say was, "I want bacon."

_Wow. That's ALL he can say?_

Aunt Petunia then ordered Harry to go cook some bacon and Harry went into the kitchen without any argument. Leaning forwards to Aang so Dudley wouldn't see, Katara whispered, "By the looks of him, I think he'll be eating his own kind."

"Katara!" Aang uttered back, feeling shaken. "You know cannibalism is against human nature!"

"I was just kidding," his girlfriend retorted. "But besides, I think he's already had enough, don't you think?" Pointing to Dudley waddling to the kitchen, she giggled, "Whoever gave him that pig tail...I have to thank that person sometime."

This made Aang smile again and rest his hand next to hers.

But there was something else that bothered the young AirBender quite a bit. It seemed that Harry did an awful lot of cooking for the family; in fact, it seemed that they forced him to. Aang also felt guilty because whenever Katara was in charge of cooking for Team Avatar on their travels, she would do it alone. So he made a mental note to always help her out when she needed it.

"Now that that's out of the way, where are you two going to sleep?" Uncle Vernon asked them with suspicion in his tone. "You're not sleeping on our expensive furniture!"

Aang was about to protest that they weren't going to dirty up the furniture. But Katara interceded by placing herself in front of her boyfriend and looking up at Uncle Vernon.

"Do you have a tent or two?" she asked him civilly. "My friend and I often live in tents from where we come from."

This shook the large beefy man a bit, for he hadn't expected politeness from this "foreigner." Aang guessed that Uncle Vernon was thinking Katara would speak some unknown language to him. But in this case, there was one way out of this awkwardness.

Uncle Vernon looked over his shoulder and growled, "All right. We'll find a ruddy tent or two for you. And to let you know, Petunia, Dudley, and I are going out tonight. The boy will be in charge of you while we're gone."

"As long as he doesn't blow up the house," Aunt Petunia sniffed snootily.

"I'm not going to blow it up!" Harry called from the kitchen. But they didn't listen.

As Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia left to find more tents, Aang heard some kind of sizzling in the kitchen. But he managed to hold back from retching when he realized the smell from there was meat. The Avatar hoped that there would at least be some fruit or vegetable he could eat in the house; if not, he would starve.

"Why don't I go search for something?" Katara reassured him. "I'm sure Harry can help out."

Aang nodded and let his girlfriend kiss his cheek softly before she walked off into the kitchen. This was going to be one heck of a stay.

**...**

Aang and Katara had stayed true to their word and waited for one month until it was the day before they go to Hogwarts. Their stay there was quite pleasant if not boring and quite strange while they learned about this new world. Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia hadn't snapped at them or forced them to do anything possibly out of fear and xenophobia. But they didn't seem to have any problem with snapping at Harry about something or forcing him to do chores.

_This is pretty ironic_, Aang thought to himself as he woke up in the tent, Katara dozing beside him calmly. He knew that General Iroh, once a general of the Fire Nation army and previous prince, was a good caring uncle to Zuko. Iroh always looked on the bright side of things, always admitted he wasn't always perfect, and encouraged Zuko to be the best man he could be. But these darn people... And that fat cousin of his! Dudley had always been spoiled to no end and he got away with everything bad that happened to Harry.

_I wish we could help Harry some more_, Aang thought, sitting up. _But our month here is nearly over._ Taking out the letter he received from Sokka the other day, he looked at it and sighed, _I better walk it out._

Stretching for a few seconds, he carefully began getting up.

"Aang?" Katara's drowsy voice made him turn to see her looking up at him. Her blue eyes were tired yet filled with concern as she asked while yawning, "Where are you going?"

Aang smiled at her and kissed her softly on the lips. "Good morning to you too, Katara. I just needed some fresh air, so I'm taking a walk, that's all. As the Air Nomads used to say, fresh air is the best medicine!"

Katara laughed softly with him as she rubbed her cheek against his. "All right. Just be careful, okay?"

"I will."

And with one last kiss of the morning, he got up and left the tent.

It was a bright sunny day. The thirteen-year-old Avatar walked down Privet Drive and watched once again as some people came out to "mow their lawns." He never understood why several of these people were so edgy about keeping themselves clean. Keeping one's self clean was one good thing, but doing it unduly was yet another thing.

Aang also saw some cats and dogs lazing about in their yards, and he almost went to play with one of each, reaching for his glider staff. But he held himself back in time, for ugly things would happen if he was spotted playing with the neighbors' animals without asking first. So he sighed instead, twirled the staff around on his hand, and brought it down as he walked some more down the street.

Plus, he flinched at seeing some long sticks hanging above doorways towards the sky; they looked like the sticks in the hunting book Sokka bought at the Muggle store.

_One blast from those sticks could either injure you or kill you, whichever way it hits you, _Sokka had told him. R_emember that, buddy. It's like FireBending without the fire._

Speaking of Sokka, Aang took out the letter from his pocket and looked down at it, eager to read it once again. Since he was in the park, which Harry called this place, he sat down on a boulder and read through it. The letter read:

"_Dear Aang and Katara,_

"_We hope you're doing okay at the Dursleys; hope they're not giving you a hard time. But anyways, things have been okay for some time._

"_But you'll never believe this! Iroh had sent Appa, Momo, and Gin over to Hogwarts! It's because since he's going to hold another Jasmine Dragon tea shop in the Fire Nation, this one won't allow animals there. But I'm not telling you WHERE at Hogwarts they're at because I don't know either. But I suppose it's for us to find out and for Dumbledore to know. Wait, wasn't that supposed to be reverse?_

"_Back to what I was saying, this part is for Katara: things are doing okay here in the Southern Water Tribe. So far, the new city's been looking great, thanks to Gramp-Gramp...I mean, Master Pakku. Sorry, Master Pakku! Sounded funny for a moment! And as for Gran-Gran, she's doing great, and she and Pakku have been taking trips around the city. I heard from them they're gonna adopt a kid; we'll have a new younger sister or brother!_

"_And this part is for Aang. I'm happy that your relationship with Katara is doing great. I really am. But I'm warning you: do NOT hurt her like last time. If you do, I don't care if we're friends and you're, like my best friend and all, but I WILL defend my sister._

"_But we better get going. And Toph says hi. See ya later!_

"_From, Sokka."_

The part where Sokka had warned Aang to treat his sister well kind of worried him. He once promised Katara that he would treat her very kindly for the rest of his life, even treating her like a queen. But he felt that if he ever hurt her, things would go bad for the both of them. But that would her even more.

"Oi! You!"

Aang jumped off of the rock and turned around on the spot to see who it was. Who it was wasn't quite whom he had expected.

Dudley Dursley was standing before him with around four boys around him. All of them looked fat and stupid, but since Dudley was the biggest and stupidest of the bunch, he seemed to be the leader. There was one boy who was smaller and skinnier than the others, but he also looked quite mean.

"Hi there!" Aang called back to them in a cheerful way. Despite what reluctant anger he felt at Dudley for mistreating Harry, he just wanted to avoid a fight. "What's up?"

"Don't you 'hi' me!" Dudley growled as he and his gang started circling around him. "You think you can barge into our house and get my mummy and daddy on your side?"

Aang felt confused at that, but he held back a snort of laughter. _What is he, four?_

But however, Dudley caught him laughing. "What're you laughing for?"

The Avatar looked up at him, for he was a foot or two higher than him. "Nothing. But...I thought you go by the name Dinky Diddikims or Duddy. Can I use those nicknames?"

"Don't give me that stupid rubbish!" Dudley bellowed, throwing a punch at Aang.

But the AirBender ducked quickly out of the way instead, thanks to the reflexes of an AirBender. Dudley threw some more punches at Aang, but he sidestepped every one of them. Aang hadn't yet run out of breath while Dudley was panting hard from the extra energy he used. Seizing the chance, he took out his staff and began using it as a pole jump to get out of the ring of boys.

But something very startling happened: one boy had yanked the staff right out from under him and brought him crashing to the ground. Aang was rightly shocked, panicking as he laid there on the ground as still as a twig. How could something like this happen? Air Nomads were usually ones who were quick enough to pole-jump themselves out of a ring of enemies. But how did they get good at...cheating?

Aang tried picking himself up once again, but someone kicked him in the belly and sent him flying backwards towards a tree. He felt sharp pain from the throw's force jolt across his body, causing him to fall to the ground, groaning with pain. Trying to get away, he got to his hands and knees, ready to crawl away from them, but they caught up with him. Two boys picked Aang up and trapped him in a full nelson while the last two grabbed his knees.

Dudley cracked his knuckles and chuckled stupidly as he sneered, "Let's see if you can dodge this, freak!"

And then he began punching him in the stomach, causing loud groans of pain to come from his mouth. While Dudley punched him some more, Aang began feeling bruised as blood dripped from his mouth to the ground. He glared up at Dudley, trying hard to talk to him, but the punches were even landed on his face, and Aang even felt a sharp something cut his cheek. What Dudley had used was the shard of a broken bottle with blood at the end.

It seemed to be the end now, and Aang started saying good-byes silently. _Good-bye, four nations. Good-bye, my friends. ...good-bye, Katara..._

"_STOP IT! LEAVE HIM ALONE! NOW!"_

Aang looked up in time to see a tidal wave of water wash over the boys as they yelped in fear. Then he felt relief and joy rise inside his beating heart as Katara leaped in between him and Dudley's gang, anger and rage on her normally kind face. Her nails formed into icy claws and she swiped them mercilessly at them, slashing fiercely. By the looks of the faces of the boys, their sneers of triumph had been changed into fear.

Kicking him hard in the stomach, Katara forced Dudley to the ground and pinned him there with one foot. Then she glared up at the others, her lovely blue eyes glowing fiery red with persisting rage.

"You stupid girl!" Dudley whimpered. "Wait till my mummy and daddy hear of this!"

"_SILENCE!" _Katara roared so loudly that the boys creeping towards Aang backed away quickly.

The ratty-looking kid timidly squeaked, "All right! All right! We're shutting up!"

Katara glared at him before reaching down and, with all her might, picked Dudley up by the collar of his shirt and stood him to his feet. Then she snarled, her voice shaking with rage, "If you EVER try and hurt my friend ever again, I'll give you more than that!"

"Oh, this is your FRIEND?" one of the other boys asked with surprise. "We didn't know that! Did you, Piers?"

"No, of course not!" Piers whined.

"Dudley?" all four kids asked him.

Dudley nodded his head stupidly, causing Katara to glare at them again. Then she let out a roar that sounded surprisingly like a lion, and that even surprised her herself. Despite that, this was enough for the boys to run away, screaming like whiny rats.

Katara turned around on the spot and gasped when she saw Aang leaning against the rock, coughing up blood in a large puddle of it. She rushed to him and gently held his head in her arms, whispering, "Aang, my beloved... Why did they do this to you?"

"They...just found me here and...started taunting me," Aang rasped, looking into her eyes. "I guess I went a little...overboard and insulted them...a bit. I guess I...deserve this."

"It was NOT your fault," the Water Tribe girl reassured him. She planted a soft kiss on his forehead and told him, "That could've happened to anybody. And if anyone's to blame, it's those Dursleys; they should've raised Dudley to be a better person! Harry wasn't lying about that after all."

She moved her arms under him and gently picked him up, his arms wrapped around her neck. "Now let's get you out of here. We're not staying after what happened."

"Aang? Katara? What on Earth happened here?"

Harry was standing there with his mouth open as he stared at this sight. It appeared he had been going for a walk to the park and back.

"Your hippo-whale of a cousin did this," Katara growled, instantly sorry for being harsh towards him. "I'm sorry, Harry. Look, can you send Hedwig over to Hagrid? He can get permission to get a portal back to our world. I hope we make it back in time."

As Harry nodded and went off to get Hedwig, Aang looked up at the girl he loved and rasped, "K-Katara...thank you..."

Katara felt tears slide down her cheeks as she rasped, "It's no problem at all, Aang. I can't lose you again. I love you." She looked up to the sky and prayed, "Great spirits of the Water Tribe, please show mercy on Aang. He has done nothing wrong. Please..." Her voice cracked into sobs as rain fell down, "...please don't take him away from us. And from me."

_To be continued..._

**...**

**AvatarCat11: I hope this chapter's good enough since it's my longest chapter yet for this story. And to the person who is known as "WishIHadAnAccount", they'll be called first years since they don't know anything at all about wizard magic. And as for the school houses? Well, I'll leave that as a surprise.**

**Anyone who reviews this chapter will receive orange-&-red icing cupcakes to revel in the good Halloween spirit, which is coming in two days. Flames and harsh criticism will be used to make S'Mores, while constructive criticism is allowed as long as it's not too harsh. And I got that scene with Katara whipping those kids' bahookies a bit from The Lion King with Mufasa beating the crap out of those hyenas to save Simba.**

**Finally, here's the chapter summary for...Travel From Platform Nine And Three Quarters!**

**Summary: While helping Aang recover, Sokka is put in charge of the group. And when they finally join Harry at the Hogwarts Express, what surprise await for them? Will Aang recover from his injuries? Will Sokka succeed as a leader again? And what about Boulder the toad?**

**See ya next time!**


	6. The Journey To Hogwarts

**AvatarCat11: I think I better get started on the newest chapter on Avatar Aang And The Sorcerer's Stone. And besides, I think we better get some of these stories out of the way so we could work on the others.**

**And to let you guys know, I'll add some chapters when the hair loopies come in. But for now, let's get this show on the road. One more thing: this chapter will begin in the ATLA world instead of the Harry Potter world.**

**Disclaimer: Never in the history of the world will I ever own Avatar: The Last AirBender or Harry Potter. They belong to Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko, and J.K. Rowling.**

**Summary: ****While helping Aang recover, Sokka is put in charge of the group. And when they finally join Harry at the Hogwarts Express, what surprise await for them? Will Aang recover from his injuries? Will Sokka succeed as a leader again? And what about Boulder the toad?**

**Updating Date: November 25, 2011**

**This FanFic is rated T for: Mild blood, very mild language, and mild sensual scenes**

**So enjoy!**

**...**

_The Journey From Platform Nine And Three Quarters_

As the healing water made contact with the scar on his cheek, Aang flinched at the sting. His chest ached and he felt as if one of his ribs was broken. The AirBending Avatar hadn't felt this injured ever since he was shot down from the sky by Azula's lightning attack.

When they were packed up, Aang and Katara had gone back to their world with the teleport gem they used to get to Harry's world. The first place they went was the Southern Water Tribe, where the city had risen to its former glory. Sokka and Hakoda were the first people who greeted them when they arrived; they immediately took Aang to Kanna's tent.

"Does it sting a lot?" Katara asked him with concern in her voice. She had noticed his flinching.

"No. It's okay," Aang lied, hoping she would fall for it.

But Katara didn't look too convinced. "Aang, don't lie to me. I know when you're feeling hurt."

Aang gave a pretend sigh of sorrow, knowing she knew him well. "Yeah. It actually stings."

"It'll be all right," Katara comforted him. "Thank the Spirits Harry heard you in time. If we hadn't come, Dudley and his gang could've..." She didn't finish, for she hugged him close to her.

There was movement near the entrance of the healing tent. Katara got up from trying to heal her boyfriend to answer the call. Standing at the entrance were Sokka, Hakoda, Kanna, Master Pakku (Kanna's husband), and Bato, Hakoda's best friend and fellow warrior.

"Is everything all right in there?" Hakoda asked his daughter.

"He'll be all right, Dad. He'll be healed before we go back to Harry's world," Katara replied softly. "There's bound to be an infection in his cheek soon."

Kanna spoke up, "Have you tried putting saliva on it?" Seeing the surprised look on her face, she added, "I've heard from some that it could sometimes be useful for keeping infected wounds at bay."

Katara nodded. "Okay then. Thanks again, Gran-Gran," she added, giving her grandmother a hug.

While the Water Tribe teen went to tend to Aang, Pakku turned to Kanna with a smile on his face. "I'm glad she knows her healing methods from you. You've taught her well, love."

His wife wrapped one arm around him in reply, love and concern on her elderly face. He did the same thing as they turned their attention back to Aang and Katara.

Her family watched with pride and love as the young WaterBender walked back to the Avatar and sat down next to him. She had cared for Aang ever since the two first met; she was the only one in Team Avatar who had pure faith in him saving the world. Now that the War was finally over, she could go on being with him as long as Avatar duties didn't keep him busy.

Aang's eyes opened slightly as he rasped, "K-Katara? Is that you?"

"Yes. I'm here," she told him. "We can try healing your broken rib with some kind of slime we use for broken bones. But as for the wound on your cheek, I think we have the cure for you." She blushed as she finally said, "We can help keep the infection at bay with saliva."

"Really?" Aang groaned, slowly sitting up and wincing at the pain. "But there's not an animal in the city to do that."

Katara gently laid him back down on his back. "I know. That's why I'm here. Now relax."

Aang didn't protest when she started rubbing his left cheek affectionately with her right hand. Instead, this made him feel comforted, feeling like he was in a bed of clouds. And to his surprise, she leaned down towards his face and started licking the scar on his cheek.

He closed his eyes, feeling rather drowsy, as he felt her warm tongue gently rasp over his scar. The young Avatar felt like Appa was hugging him in his fore paws, but he wasn't with his Sky Bison right now. He was with his girlfriend, the kindest and most beautiful girl he had ever been lucky to meet. Aang closed his eyes with a retired yet happy sigh as Katara went on licking his scarred cheek.

A shuffling noise told him that Katara had stopped licking his cheek and fell asleep beside him. So did Aang.

**(Author's Note: Anyone who asks me what's up with the licking, two reasons. They are: if there's no other way of keeping an infection at bay, and if they're affectionate.)**

**...**

The next day, right before the crack of dawn, Team Avatar had gone back to Harry's world. It was finally time to go to Hogwarts, where their mission and vacation would take place at. Sokka had brought along his own teleport gem, which had been split into four pieces (one for Aang and Katara each, one for him, and one for Toph), and used it to get them to this world.

But they couldn't return to the Leaky Cauldron because this was finally the day they go on over to Hogwarts. Dumbledore had sent them another letter, saying that they would have to go Platform Nine And Three Quarters as soon as possible. According to the tickets they got, the train would leave at exactly 11:00 A.M.

So all four members of Team Avatar were at the train station, looking confused. Sokka looked down at the ticket he was holding and frowned. Where was this nine and three quarters place really at? If so, how were they to get there?

"Look! There's Harry!"

At Katara's voice, Sokka looked up from his ticket to see what was going on. There was Harry, who was walking calmly beside his uncle. The Water Tribe warrior knew about Harry's Uncle Vernon thanks to Aang and Katara visiting the Dursleys. But by the way Uncle Vernon was smirking, this didn't look good.

"Well, there you are, boy. Platform nine...platform ten," Uncle Vernon was saying as he dumped Harry's stuff carelessly onto a cart. "Your platform should be somewhere in the middle, but they don't seem to have built it yet, do they?"

Sokka had to admit that the fat man was quite right. There was the big plastic number nine over one platform and a big plastic number ten over the one next to it. And in the middle, there was nothing at all.

Harry's uncle had a meaner smirk on his face as he said, "Have a good term," and left without another word.

This made Sokka frown even more; it looked like Harry, Aang, and Katara weren't lying about the Dursleys after all. But his frown became a glare when the Dursleys rode away in one of those machines called "cars", laughing at Harry. Thankfully, when Dudley looked out the window to laugh at his cousin, Katara returned that with a death glare, one that made him squeal with fright and look away.

"Are you all right, Harry?" Katara asked him, pulling him into a comforting embrace.

Harry nodded. "I'm used to it, though."

Toph looked after where the Dursleys had gone and said, "Hey, Katara. When we see those guys again, I got a present for them. Three hints: it's big, it likes dirt like me, and it's a glutton. Think of it as...Pig Boy's twin."

Reading the look on Toph's face, the WaterBender smiled and laughed, "Got it."

But Sokka kept looking around the place, his mind racing around his head. What on earth were they going to do? They were starting to attract a lot of funny looks, because of Hedwig. He would have to ask someone himself while the others talked away. He stopped a guard and asked him for the train to Hogwarts, but he didn't dare mention platform nine and three-quarters.

The guard had never heard of Hogwarts, and when Sokka didn't tell him what part of the country it was in, he started to get annoyed, as if he was being stupid on purpose. Getting desperate, the Water Tribe warrior asked for the train that left at eleven o'clock, but the guard said there wasn't one. In the end the guard strode away, muttering about time wasters.

Harry looked quite panicky, and Sokka had to pat him on the arm to calm him down. According to the large clock over the arrivals board, Harry and Team Avatar had ten minutes left to get on the train to Hogwarts and they had no idea how to do it. They were stranded in the middle of a station with trunks they could hardly lift, pockets full of wizard money, and a large owl and toad.

"Anyone hear anything?" Aang was catching up with them well in spite of his injuries.

Sokka replied, "Well, I asked a guard just now if there was a train going to Hogwarts."

Toph punched him on the arm and retorted, "Duh! We gotta ask _magical_ people, not Muggles!"

When the young master EarthBender just finished saying that, a group of people passed just behind them. Sokka caught a few words of what they were saying.

"...packed with Muggles, of course..."

Sokka turned around to see who was speaking now. The speaker was a plump woman who was talking to four tall boys, all with flaming red hair. Each of them was pushing a trunk like Harry's and Team Avatar's in front of him, and they had an _owl_.

Smiling reassuringly at Harry, Sokka led the group towards the red-haired family. To Sokka and his friends, they had never seen any red-haired women before, though Suki had reddish-brown hair. They stopped and so did Team Avatar, just near enough to hear what they were saying.

"Now what's the platform number?" the boys' mother asked.

"Nine and three-quarters!" a small red-haired girl piped up, holding her mother's hand. "Mum, can't I go?"

The red-haired mother told her gently, "You're not old enough, Ginny. Now be quiet. All right, Percy, you go first."

What looked like the oldest boy of the family marched to platforms nine and ten. Sokka and Harry watched careful not to blink in case all five missed it. But just when the boy reached the barrier between the two platforms, a large crowd of tourists came swarming in front of him. And by the time the last backpack had cleared away, the boy had vanished.

Aang and Katara gave each other confused looks, Sokka looked skeptical, and Toph looked quite frustrated; perhaps someone wasn't telling her what was going on. Harry, meanwhile, looked as confused as Aang and Katara were.

"Fred, you next," the plump woman said.

"I'm not Fred, I'm George," the boy retorted. "Honestly, woman, you call yourself our mother? Can't you _tell _I'm George?"

"Sorry, George, dear."

"Only joking. I _am_ Fred," said the boy, and off he went.

His twin called after him to hurry up, and he must have done so, because a second later, he had gone. But how had he done it? Now the third brother was walking briskly toward the barrier he was almost there, and then, quite suddenly, he wasn't anywhere.

Sokka had smiled to himself about the antics of those twins. They reminded him of himself whenever he would cheer his team on. He felt he could really get those two onto Team Avatar sometime. But now they had to know how exactly to find the train to go to Hogwarts. Maybe they could ask the plump red-haired woman and her kids.

As if reading his mind, Toph nudged Harry over and told, "Go for it, kid. We're right behind you."

There was nothing else for it. Harry began walking up to the plump woman while Team Avatar walked behind him.

"Excuse me," Harry said to the plump woman.

"Hello, dear," she greeted him. "First time at Hogwarts? Ron's new, too."

She pointed at the last and youngest of her sons. He was tall, thin, and lanky, with freckles, big hands and feet, and a long nose.

"Yes," Harry said politely. "The thing is...the thing is, I don't know how to-"

"How to get onto the platform?" the woman finished kindly, and Harry nodded. "Not to worry. All you have to do is walk straight at the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Don't stop and don't be scared you'll crash into it, that's very important. Best do it at a bit of a run if you're nervous. Go on, go now before Ron."

Harry nodded before walking towards the barrier.

Turning to Team Avatar, she asked them politely, "And what about you four?"

Sokka spoke up, "We're with him to Hogwarts."

"Really?" the woman replied with surprise. "But I've never seen you four around here before. Where did you come from?"

"We're foreign exchange students," Sokka explained. Before the woman said anything else, he went on, "So even though we look years older than a first year, we'll still be considered first years."

The woman was nodding as if she understood. "I see. I remember Dumbledore saying something like that when I went to Hogwarts. But you just follow the youngster and walk straight into the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Don't stop and don't worry."

"Good luck," the red-haired girl piped up.

Sokka and his team said their thank-yous before pushing his cart with luggage around and stared at the barrier. It looked very solid.

He started to walk toward it. People jostled him on their way to platforms nine and ten. Sokka walked more quickly with the others behind him. He knew they were going to smash right into that barrier and they would be in trouble. Leaning forward on his cart, he broke into a heavy run as the barrier came nearer and nearer; he wouldn't be able to stop. The cart was out of control; he was a foot away. He closed his eyes ready for the crash.

It didn't come; he kept on running as he opened his eyes. A large red train was waiting next to a platform packed with people. A sign overhead said _Hogwarts' Express, eleven o'clock_. Sokka and Team Avatar looked behind them and saw a wrought-iron archway where the barrier had been, with the words _Platform Nine and Three-Quarters _on it. They had done it.

Smoke from the engine drifted over the heads of the chattering crowd, while cats of every color wound here and there between their legs. Owls hooted to one another in a disgruntled sort of way over the babble and the scraping of heavy trunks.

"We made it," Katara murmured with awe, looking up at the train.

"What? What'd you see?" Toph asked them with mild impatience.

Aang turned to her and answered her, "It's a large red train with smoke blowing from the top. And it has the letters _Platform Nine and Three-Quarters _on it."

Toph nodded. "Okay then."

The first few carriages were already packed with students, some hanging out of the window to talk to their families, some fighting over seats. Team Avatar pushed their carts off down the platform in search of an empty seat. They and Harry, whom they had caught up to, passed a round-faced boy who was saying, "Gran, I've lost my toad again."

"Oh Neville," Sokka heard an elderly woman sigh.

A boy with dreadlocks was surrounded by a small crowd. One kid even said, "Give us a look, Lee. Go on."

The boy named "Lee" lifted the lid of a box in his arms. The people around him shrieked as something inside poked out a long hairy leg. Sokka wanted to go over there and see what it was. But when he started walking towards there, Katara grabbed him by the collar and pulled him back.

"We can't go there right now," his sister chided him. "We've got to help Harry first."

"Okay. Just wanted a sneak peek," Sokka told her. "Just...let me help Harry out with his stuff."

Katara looked at him as if she didn't believe him. Then she finally said, "Okay. But don't leave him behind after that."

Sokka nodded to his sister while she, Aang, and Toph went to find some seats to sit at.

When they were gone, Sokka and Harry pressed on through the crowd until they found an empty booth near the end of the train. They put Hedwig inside first and then started to shove and heave Harry's trunk toward the train door. They tried to lift it up the steps, but they could hardly raise one, and twice they dropped it painfully on Harry's foot.

"Want a hand?" It was one of the red-haired twins they followed through the barrier.

"Yes please," Harry panted.

Sokka added, "And thank the spirits you came in time!"

The twin nodded before calling, "Oi, Fred! C'mere and help!"

With the twins' help plus Sokka, Harry's trunk was at last tucked away in a corner of the booth.

"Thanks," Harry panted, pushing his sweaty hair out of his eyes.

"What's that?" one twin said suddenly, pointing at Harry's lightning scar.

Sokka saw that Harry looked confused at this and a bit nervous. So he stepped in and said, "You know it's rude to stare at someone's forehead like that?"

But they didn't listen. One of the twins gasped, "Blimey. Are you...?"

"He is," said the first twin. "Aren't you?" he added to Harry.

Harry stared. "What?"

"_Harry Potter_." chorused the twins.

"Oh, him," Harry said. "I mean, yes, I am."

Beside him, Sokka nodded with confirmation. "Yep, that's him, all right!"

The two boys gawked at him, and Harry was turning red. Sokka felt as if he was going to scold the twins for just staring at him like that. Then, to his relief, a voice came floating in through the train's open door.

"Fred? George? Are you there?"

"Coming, Mum."

With a last look at Harry and Sokka, the twins hopped off the train.

Harry sat down next to the window where, half hidden, he could watch the red-haired family on the platform and hear what they were saying. Sokka, meanwhile, gesticulated for Harry to wait while he checked up on his friends. At this, he got up and walked off to where Team Avatar went off to.

He found them making themselves comfortable in their chosen booth. Aang and Katara were reading another animal book together and Toph was just snoring loudly in the corner of the booth. When Sokka knocked on the door of the compartment, Aang got up and answered it.

"Did you help Harry out?" Aang asked him.

"Yep. And those twins helped out," Sokka explained, pointing his thumb over his shoulder.

Katara looked up at him. "You mean those twins we saw earlier? The ones who were joking about who's Fred and who's George?"

Her brother nodded. "The same ones." Looking at Toph, he asked, "When'd she go to sleep?"

"She got bored as soon as we got in here," Aang explained, a shy smirk on his face. "Since she can't really EarthBend in here. And no, she can't MetalBend it either," he added, guessing what his friend was going to say next.

Suddenly, a flash of red from the corner of his eye made Sokka look over to where Harry was at. Next moment, he could see one of the younger red-haired kids, whose name was "Ron", asking something and then getting into the booth with him, not before the twins came back. It looked like Harry was already making friends with this young man.

_Good, _he thought with pride.

Saying something to Aang and Katara about Harry, Sokka went over to check up on him. When he saw that the door was closed, he politely knocked on the door. Ron was the one who answered his knock, giving him a confused look when he saw who it was.

"Hey, weren't you that guy leading those other kids to the train?" the red-haired boy asked him.

Realizing that Ron was asking him this, Sokka assumed that he was asking him if he was the leader of Team Avatar. Deep inside, he couldn't help but try and tell a little lie, one little lie at a time.

So he said, "Yep. I'm the leader of Team Avatar. Name's Sokka. Sokka of the Water Tribe."

Ron looked amazed at this while Sokka felt proud of himself inside. If he kept this up, he would get some respect around Hogwarts.

Then Ron asked him, "How about you come in? Everywhere else is full."

"Um...sure," was Sokka's reply. At this, he squeezed past Ron and sat down near the window on Harry's side.

When Sokka settled down in his seat, he looked out the window. He was amazed to see that the trees and buildings in London were moving fast. He didn't know people lived in some of those houses, but he decided to ask Aang and Katara about it. After all, they did spend an entire month with the Dursleys.

Then Ron broke the silence by saying to Harry, ""I heard you went to live with Muggles. What are they like?"

"Horrible," Harry replied. "Well, not all of them. My aunt and uncle and cousin are, though. Wish I'd had three wizard brothers."

"Five," said Ron. He looked low for some reason. "I'm the sixth in our family to go to Hogwarts. You could say I've got a lot to live up to. Bill and Charlie have already left; Bill was Head Boy and Charlie was captain of Quidditch. Now Percy's a prefect. Fred and George mess around a lot, but they still get really good marks and everyone thinks they're really funny. Everyone expects me to do as well as the others, but if I do, it's no big deal, because they did it first. You never get anything new, either, with five brothers. I've got Bill's old robes, Charlie's old wand, and Percy's old rat."

He reached inside his jacket and pulled out a fat gray rat, which was asleep. Sokka saw that the rat was missing a toe on one of its paws.

Ron saw Sokka looking at the rat with interest, for he went on, "His name's Scabbers and he's useless. He hardly ever wakes up. Percy got an owl from my dad for being made a prefect, but they couldn't aff...I mean, I got Scabbers instead."

Ron's ears went pink. He seemed to think he had said too much, because he went back to staring out of the window.

Sokka didn't think there was anything wrong with not being able to afford an owl. After all, he had been living in a Southern Water Tribe igloo for fifteen years of his life. Through the Great War, the Southern Water Tribe was nothing but a barren land of snow and ice; now it was a great city. Besides, he had lived with his WaterBending sister, not knowing fully how she had learned it.

As for Harry, he never had any money in his life until a month ago, so Aang and Katara had said. Harry told Ron and Sokka so, all about having to wear Dudley's old clothes and never getting proper birthday presents. This seemed to cheer Ron up. Sokka smiled in respect and interest.

"...and until Hagrid told me, I didn't know anything about being a wizard or about my parents or Voldemort-"

Ron gasped. Sokka's blue eyes widened a little at this. Lupin had told him about this person.

"What?" Harry asked.

"_You said You-Know-Who's name!_" Ron said, sounding both shocked and impressed. "I'd have thought you, of all people..."

Sokka added, "Yeah. I'm not saying it's bad or anything, but why's it bad to say his name?"

"I'm not trying to be _brave _or anything, saying the name," Harry defended himself. "I just never knew you shouldn't. See what I mean? I've got loads to learn. I bet," he added, sounding down, "I bet I'm the worst in the class."

"You won't be," Ron reassured him. "There's loads of people who come from Muggle families and they learn quick enough."

Reminded of his sister, Sokka added, "Yep. Reminds me of myself. I don't have any Bending powers, but I helped my friends out in the War."

Ron looked at him in a weird way. "Bending? War?"

"Long story," Sokka told him dismissively. "We'll tell you when we get to Hogwarts."

While they had been talking, the train had carried them out of London. Now they were speeding past fields full of cows and sheep. They were quiet for a time, watching the fields and lanes flick past. Around half past twelve there was a great clattering outside in the corridor and a smiling dimpled woman slid back their door.

"Anything off the cart, dears?" she asked them kindly.

Harry, who hadn't had any breakfast, leapt to his feet, but Ron's ears went pink again as he muttered that he brought sandwiches. Harry and Sokka went out into the corridor.

Sokka gasped at the sweets right before his eyes. What the cat woman had were Bettie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, Chocolate Frogs. Pumpkin Pasties, Cauldron Cakes, Licorice Wands, and a number of other strange things he had never seen in his life. Next to him, Harry asked for some of everything and paid the woman eleven silver Sickles and seven bronze Knuts.

"Same here," Sokka said. Then he paid... "Well, only one of everything."

Ron stared as Harry and Sokka brought it all back in to the compartment and tipped it onto an empty seat. "Hungry, aren't you?" he asked them.

"Starving," Harry replied, taking a big bite out of a Pumpkin Pasty.

Sokka, who had started eating a Cauldron Cake, swallowed his mouthful and said, "You bet I am! The only thing I ate for breakfast was some blubbered seal jerky."

"Blubbered seal jerky?" Ron asked him with wonder. "Where do you live at?"

"Like I said before, I'm from the Southern Water Tribe," the Water Tribe warrior mentioned.

Ron gave him a half-weird half-amused looked before taking out a package and unwrapping it. There were four sandwiches inside. He pulled one of them apart and said, "She always forgets I don't like corned beef."

"Swap you for one of these," Harry replied, holding up a pasty. "Go on."

"You don't want this. It's all dry," Ron told him. "She hasn't got much time, you know, with five of us," he added quickly.

"Go on, have a pasty," Harry insisted.

Seeing this, Sokka realized the young wizard had never had anything to share before or, indeed, anyone to share it with. It felt nice, sitting there with these two, eating their way through all of the pasties, cakes, and candies. The sandwiches lay forgotten...or so some thought.

But Sokka, however, asked Ron, "Can I try one of those sandwiches?"

Ron gave him an odd look before handing him one, telling him, "Okay. But I'm warning you: it's dry."

Taking it into his hand, the seventeen-year-old teenager inspected it closely and took a bite. To him, it did taste kind of dry, but he did taste drier stuff before. He swallowed painfully at the dry taste before opening the window and throwing it out. Ron gave him a look that said, _Told you._

"What are these?" Harry suddenly asked Ron, holding up a pack of Chocolate Frogs. "They're not _really _frogs, are they?" Sokka was starting to feel that nothing would surprise him, himself, or even Team Avatar.

"No," Ron told him. "But see what the card is. I'm missing Agrippa."

"What?"

"The heck?" Sokka finished for Harry.

Ron added, "Oh, of course, you wouldn't know. Chocolate Frogs have cards inside them, you know, to collect...famous witches and wizards. I've got about five hundred, but I haven't got Agrippa or Ptolemy."

Harry opened his Chocolate Frog and picked up the card. Sokka looked over from the Chocolate Frog he picked up and looked over at Harry's. There was a man's elderly face on the front. He wore half-moon glasses, had a long, crooked nose, and flowing silver hair, beard, and mustache. Underneath the picture was the name Albus Dumbledore.

"So _this _is Dumbledore!" Harry said.

"Don't tell me you'd never heard of Dumbledore!" Ron gasped. "Can I have a frog? I might get Agrippa." Harry handed him one and he said, "Thanks."

Sokka saw the truth now. This was the same man who had invited him, Team Avatar, Zuko, and Suki over to Hogwarts.

So he spoke up, "We saw him a month ago! He gave us our letters to go to Hogwarts!"

Ron gaped at him. "Really? I'm feeling quite jealous right now. We've never actually met him before." To Harry, he asked, "So read the back of the card."

The Boy Who Lived did just that. He and Sokka read:

_**ALBUS DUMBLEDORE**_

_**CURRENTLY HEADMASTER OF HOGWARTS**_

_**Considered by many the greatest wizard of modern times, Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel. Professor Dumbledore enjoys chamber music and tenpin bowling.**_

Harry turned the card back over and saw, to his astonishment, that Dumbledore's face had disappeared.

"He's gone!"

"Well, you can't expect him to hang around all day," Ron told him. "He'll be back. No, I've got Morgana again and I've got about six of her… do you want it? You can start collecting." His eyes strayed to the pile of Chocolate Frogs waiting to be unwrapped.

"Help yourself," Harry replied. "But in, you know, the Muggle world, people just stay put in photos."

Ron stared at him. "Do they? What, they don't move at all? _Weird!"_

Sokka got an idea. Reaching into his bag, he pulled out the picture he made after the War, proud he made a good picture. Then, sure Harry and Ron would like it, he showed it to them.

But Harry asked, "What...is that?"

"Yeah. Looks like someone doodled a painting wrong," Ron added.

"Aww," Sokka sighed. "Maybe I can make something like that with you two."

He stared as Dumbledore sidled back into the picture on his card and gave Harry a small smile. Ron was more interested in eating the frogs than looking at the Famous Witches and Wizards cards, but Harry and Sokka couldn't keep their eyes off them. Sokka had gotten quite a few, but he was shocked to see a card of General Iroh. It appeared that not all cards had witches or wizards.

"You want to be careful with those," Ron warned Harry as he picked up a pack of beans. "When they say every flavor, they _mean _every flavor. You know, you get all the ordinary ones like chocolate and peppermint and marmalade, but then you can get spinach and liver and tripe. George reckons he had a booger-flavored one once."

Ron picked up a little green bean, looked at it carefully, and bit into a corner. "Bleaaargh! See? Sprouts."

They had a good time eating the Every Flavor Beans. Harry got toast, coconut, baked bean, strawberry, curry, grass, coffee, sardine, and was even brave enough to nibble the end off a funny gray one Ron wouldn't touch, which turned out to be pepper. Sokka got pineapple, sugar cane, anchovy, vanilla, chocolate, and...stewed sea prunes.

The countryside now flying past the window was becoming wilder. The neat fields had now gone. Now there were woods, twisting rivers, and dark green hills.

Sometime later, there had been the round-faced boy from earlier, who had asked them if there was a toad nearby. When the three of them said no, the boy wailed that the toad would come back soon. Sokka was reminded of Toph's new pet toad, Boulder.

But then, Ron said something about Scabbers that made him interested: "I tried to turn him yellow yesterday to make him more interesting, but the spell didn't work. I'll show you, look…"

He rummaged around in his trunk and pulled out a very battered-looking wand. It was chipped in places and something white was glinting at the end.

"Unicorn hair's nearly poking out. Anyways..."

He had just raised his wand when the compartment door slid open again. The toad-less boy was back, but this time he had a girl with him. She was already wearing her new Hogwarts robes. And believe it or not, to Sokka's surprise, Katara was with them.

"Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost one," she said. She had a bossy sort of voice, lots of bushy brown hair, and rather large front teeth.

Katara, who looked over at Sokka, greeted him, "Hey there. Have you seen his toad anywhere? The difference between his toad and Toph's toad is that hers is gray and his is brown."

Sokka shook his head. "Haven't seen it."

"We've already told him we haven't seen it," Ron was saying to the new girl, but she wasn't listening. She was looking at the wand in his hand.

She asked him, "Oh, are you doing magic? Let's see it, then."

She sat down while Ron looked taken aback.

_A little pushy there, isn't she? _Sokka gave Katara a look that said this. She gave him a small glare, but she did seem to agree with him.

"Er...all right." Ron cleared his throat and began the chant.

_Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow,_

_Turn this stupid, fat rat yellow._

He waved his wand, but nothing happened. Scabbers stayed gray and fast asleep.

"Are you sure that's a real spell?" the girl asked, arching a brow. "Well, it's not very good, is it? I've tried a few simple spells just for practice and it's all worked for me. Nobody in my family's magic at all. It was ever such a surprise when I got my letter, but I was ever so pleased, of course. I mean, it's the very best school of witchcraft there is, I've heard. I've learned all our course books by heart, of course. I just hope it will be enough. I'm Hermione Granger, by the way, who are you?" She said all this very fast.

To Sokka, she added, "And I heard of you, Sokka. Your sister here told me you'd be here."

Harry looked at Ron. Sokka could tell he relieved to see by his dazed face that he hadn't learned the entire course books by heart either. To him, those books had been confusing, but since he got the Mark of the Wise from Rock-Dodging, he decided to study some more.

"I'm Ron Weasley," Ron muttered.

"Harry Potter," Harry added.

"Are you really?" Hermione asked. ""I know all about you, of course. I got a few extra books, for background reading, and you're in _Modern Magical History_ and _The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts __and __Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century_. I'd have found out everything I could if it was me. Do either of you know what house you'll be in? I've been asking around, and I hope I'm in Gryffindor. It sounds by far the best; I hear Dumbledore himself was in it, but I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad… Anyway, we'd better go and look for Neville's toad. You two had better change, you know, I expect we'll be there soon."

And she left, taking the toad-less boy with her. But Katara stayed behind to talk with Sokka.

"You wanna come back to our booth?" his sister asked him. "You've done a good job here."

Sokka looked around at Harry and Ron; they seemed to be capable of looking out for each other. "Eh...sure."

Katara gave him a warm smile and led him over to their booth. When they got there, Sokka saw something that made him feel amused.

Toph had woken up and had started drilling Aang on how to EarthBend a piece of space earth. It looked like she was training him hard and for good reason. Earth was the opposite element of air and Aang had problems at first with it at first. But he seemed to handle it well.

"Not WAY too tough there, Aang," Toph was instructing him. "You gotta let it sink between your fingers and feel the energy inside."

Aang did so, and as he concentrated hard, he formed it into the shape of Momo's head. "Wow! Did I do good?"

Toph nodded. "Yep. Good job there, my pupil. You'll be a good Space EarthBender yet."

"Teaching him how to Bend space earth?" Katara asked him, an amused look on her face.

Sokka looked down at the space earth, feeling nostalgia fill his mind. This was the same piece of meteorite that his space-sword was made of. He was happy that Toph had kept it; this made his memories alive.

Suddenly, shuffling noises outside made Sokka open the booth door to see what was up. The blond-haired kid they saw a month ago was stalking down the corridor with two fat boys right behind him. By the look on their faces, they looked like they had chosen the wrong person to pick on.

"Looks like that's from Team Harry!" At the sound of that, Team Avatar turned to look at Sokka in a weird way. "What? That's what I'm gonna call them now."

And right after that happened, a voice called: We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train. It will be taken to the school separately."

Team Avatar quickly changed into their robes. Aang placed the wizard hat on his head to hide his arrow tattoo for a bit until everyone would see. Katara began fixing her hair and undid the braids and stuff until her long hair billowed out to past her shoulders. Sokka awkwardly placed his new wand into his pocket, knowing he would need it for later. And Toph punched through her Hogwarts shoes, making holes in the soles so she would sense the earth.

The train slowed right down and finally stopped. People pushed their way toward the door and out on to a tiny dark platform. Team Avatar shivered in the cold night air. Then a lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students, and they heard a familiar voice: "Firs' years! Firs' years over here! All right there, Harry? And hey there, Team Avatar!"

Hagrid's big hairy face was beaming over the sea of heads. "C'mon, follow me! Any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!"

_We may look older, _Sokka wanted to retort to those staring at him and his friends, _but we know NOTHING about magic!_

Slipping and stumbling, they followed Hagrid down what seemed to be a steep narrow path. It was so dark on either side of them that Sokka thought there must be thick trees there. Nobody spoke much, though Neville, the boy who kept losing his toad, sniffed once or twice.

"Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid called over his shoulder. "Jus' round this bend here."

There was a loud "Oooooh!" at that.

The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black lake. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers. It was the biggest castle Sokka had ever seen in his life, though he hadn't seen a lot of castles a lot lately.

"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore. Harry and Ron were followed into their boat by Neville and Hermione. Team Avatar went in their own boat, followed by the blond-haired boy and his large friends.

"Everyone in?" shouted Hagrid, who had a boat to himself. "Right then...FORWARD!"

And the fleet of little boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was as smooth as glass. Everyone was silent, staring up at the great castle overhead. It towered over them as they sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood.

"Heads down!" Hagrid yelled as the first boats reached the cliff.

They all bent their heads and the little boats carried them through a curtain of ivy that hid a wide opening in the cliff face. They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle, until they reached a kind of cavern harbor. There, they clambered out onto rocks and pebbles.

"Oi, you there! Is this your toad?" Hagrid asked. He was checking the boats as people climbed out of them.

"Trevor!" the boy named Neville cried blissfully, holding out his hands.

Then they clambered up a passageway in the rock after Hagrid's lamp, coming out at last onto smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle. They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, oak front door.

"Everyone here? You there, still got yer toad?"

Then Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door.

_We're nearly there!_

_To be continued..._

**...**

**AvatarCat11: I think this is the longest chapter I made so far. I hope you don't mind, folks. But let's get on with the review thing and preview for the next chapter.**

**Anyone who reviews this chapter will get virtual packages of peanut butter fudge and pans of pudding pie. Flames will not be allowed here (they'll be used for making S'Mores and other stuff), but constructive criticism is allowed.**

**Preview: Team Avatar have finally arrived in Hogwarts and it is time for them to get to their new Houses. But what Houses will they be in?**

**See ya next time!**


	7. The Sorting Hat

**AvatarCat11: All right, everyone! You ready to see which houses Team Avatar will get Sorted into? Well, this chapter will show it to you! If you're wondering if one of them will be in Slytherin, well...I'll let you know on this chapter.**

**Also, since Team Avatar's members don't have last names (except for Toph), I'll let Aang go first in the Sorting. After that will be Toph, then Katara, and then Sokka. Plus, I'll let a familiar animal be seen on this chapter. I'll give you a hint: his theme is a source of comic relief. One more thing, this chapter will be in Aang's point of view.**

**I think I've said too much of this chapter. Let's get on with the disclaimer and summary.**

**Disclaimer: Avatar: The Last AirBender belongs to Bryke, not me. And J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter, not me.**

**Summary: Aang and his friends have finally arrived at Hogwarts, where they are sorted into their Houses. But which Houses will they get sorted into?**

**Updating Date: December 18, 2011**

**Remember, it's one week away until Christmas! Enjoy!**

**...**

_The Sorting Hat_

The door swung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. She had a very stern face, and Aang's first thought was that this was not someone to cross.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," Hagrid told the elderly witch.

"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here."

She pulled the door wide. The entrance hall was so big you could have fit a few Bumi's palaces in it. The stone walls were lit with flaming torches like the ones at Gringotts, the ceiling was too high to make out, and a superb marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors. It looked very amazing on the outside like it did on the inside.

They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. Aang could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right; the rest of the school must already be here. But Professor McGonagall showed the first years and Team Avatar into a small empty chamber off the hall. They crowded in, standing rather closer together than they would usually have done, peering about nervously.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," Professor McGonagall began. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room.

"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule-breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.

"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting."

Her eyes lingered for a moment on Neville's cloak, which was fastened under his left ear, and on Ron's smudged nose. Harry was nervously trying to flatten his hair. Aang, meanwhile, tried hard to hide his arrow tattoo underneath his hat.

"I shall return when we are ready for you," Professor McGonagall told the students. "Please wait quietly."

After that, she left the chamber.

Harry swallowed. "How exactly do they sort us into houses?" he asked Ron.

"Some sort of test, I think. Fred said it hurts a lot, but I think he was joking."

"A test? In front of the whole school?" Sokka asked him, his eyes a little bugged out.

Ron shrugged. "I haven't heard of it myself. I was thinking at first that we had to fight each other."

Sokka stepped back, thinking. "Hmmm...I am a fan of duels."

But Aang didn't know any magic yet except for the four elements. What in the name of the past Avatars would he have to do? He hadn't expected something like this the moment they arrived. He looked around anxiously and saw that everyone else looked terrified, too. No one was talking much except Hermione Granger, who was talking very fast about all the spells she had learned and wondering which one she would need.

Aang tried hard not to listen to her. He had never been more nervous, except that the only time he was nervous was when he had to train to fight Fire Lord Ozai. He kept his eyes fixed on the door. Any second now, Professor McGonagall would come back and lead him to his doom. But then, he felt something warm touch his shoulder; it was Katara who had laid a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"You okay?" his girlfriend asked him. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

But Sokka suddenly yelped, "I think I just saw one right now!"

Then something happened that made him jump about a foot in the air. Several people behind him screamed. They also gasped, and so did Team Avatar. About twenty ghosts just flowed through the back wall. Pearly-white and slightly transparent, they glided across the room talking to one another and hardly glancing at the first years. They seemed to be arguing.

What looked like a fat little monk was saying: "Forgive and forget, I say. We ought to give him a second chance."

"My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us all a bad name and you know, he's not really even a ghost... I say, what are you all doing here?"

A ghost wearing a ruff and tights had suddenly noticed the first years.

Nobody answered.

"New students!" the Fat Friar said, smiling around at them. "About to be Sorted, I suppose?"

A few people nodded mutely.

"Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!" said the Friar. "My old house, you know."

"Move along now," a sharp voice suddenly said. "The Sorting Ceremony's about to start."

Professor McGonagall had returned. One by one, the ghosts floated away through the opposite wall.

"Now, form a line," Professor McGonagall told the first years, "and follow me."

Feeling oddly as if his legs had been turned to water, Aang got into line in front of Katara and behind Ron. Harry, meanwhile, got behind a boy with sandy hair, with Ron behind him, and Toph and Sokka stuck together with Hermione. Then they walked out of the chamber, back across the hall, and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall.

Sokka was muttering to himself, "There's no such thing as ghosts. They're just a figment of your imagination. Pull yourself together."

Aang ignored his friend's frantic muttering and looked to the Great Hall. He had never imagined such a strange and splendid place.

It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that floated in midair over four long tables, where the older students were sitting. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting. Professor McGonagall led the first years up here, so that they came to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them. The hundreds of faces staring at them looked like pale lanterns in the flickering candlelight. Dotted here and there among the students, the ghosts shone misty silver. Mainly to avoid all the staring eyes, Aang and Harry looked up and saw a velvety black ceiling dotted with stars.

He could hear Hermione whisper, "It's bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in _Hogwarts, A History_."

Unknowingly to Hermione, Toph muttered to Aang, "I think she's read too many books if you ask me."

It was hard to believe there was a ceiling there at all, and that the Great Hall didn't simply open on to the heavens. Aang quickly looked down again as Professor McGonagall silently placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool she put a pointed hat. This hat was patched and frayed and extremely dirty.

_Maybe they had to try and get a rabbit out of it_, Aang thought; that was what he and Katara had seen on the goggle-boxes they called TVs. That seemed the sort of thing the other members of Team Avatar was thinking. For a few seconds, there was silence. Then the hat jolted. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth...and the hat began to sing:

"_Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,_

_But don't judge on what you see,_

_I'll eat myself if you can find_

_A smarter hat than me._

_You can keep your bowlers black,_

_Your top hats sleek and tall,_

_For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat_

_And I can cap them all._

_There's nothing hidden in your head_

_The Sorting Hat can't see,_

_So try me on and I will tell you_

_Where you ought to be._

_You might belong in Gryffindor,_

_Where dwell the brave at heart,_

_Their daring, nerve, and chivalry_

_Set Gryffindors apart;_

_You might belong in Hufflepuff,_

_Where they are just and loyal,_

_Those patient Hufflepuffs are true_

_And unafraid of toil;_

_Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,_

_if you've a ready mind,_

_Where those of wit and learning,_

_Will always find their kind;_

_Or perhaps in Slytherin_

_You'll make your real friends,_

_Those cunning folk use any means_

_To achieve their ends._

_So put me on! Don't be afraid!_

_And don't get in a flap!_

_You're in safe hands (though I have none)_

_For I'm a Thinking Cap!"_

The whole hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song. It bowed to each of the four tables and then became quite still again.

"So we've just got to try on the hat!" Ron was whispering to Harry. "I'll kill Fred! He was going on about wrestling a troll!"

Harry smiled weakly and Aang did the same thing. Yes, trying on the hat was better than having to do a spell. But Aang wished they could have tried it on without everyone watching.

The hat seemed to be asking rather a lot; Harry didn't feel brave or quick-witted or any of it at the moment. If only the hat had mentioned a house for people who felt a bit queasy, that would have been the one for him.

Professor McGonagall now stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment.

"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said. "And four of our new students are new here, but three of them do not have last names. So...Aang of the Air Nomads!"

Aang just stood there, staring up ahead in surprise. But it was only with a nudge from Katara that made him walk towards the hat.

A horrible thought struck the AirBending Avatar, as horrible thoughts do when you get nervous. What if he wasn't chosen at all? What if he just sat there with the hat over his eyes for ages, until Professor McGonagall took it off his head and said there had obviously been a mistake and he had better get back on the train?

_Don't worry, _a voice that sounded a lot like Monk Gyatso whispered in his ear. _You'll be fine._

Finally, when he reached the stool, Aang gave a sigh and took off the hat that he was disguising his arrow with. Many students gasped with amazement when they saw the sky-blue arrow tattoo standing clearly like a white platypus bear. Glad that this was done with, Aang took the Sorting Hat and placed it on top of his head.

As it fit snugly on his head, he heard a voice from it hiss into his ear, _"Hmmm...yes... I heard of you from Professor Dumbledore, my boy. How you have beaten Fire Lord Ozai in your own world. Very nice. Now...you value hard work and you treat everyone around you equally, so that would make you Hufflepuff. But no, that's not the House for you."_

_Then what is it? _Aang whispered partly to himself.

"_I also see that you were brave when you battled Ozai, _the Sorting Hat went on as if he could read his mind. _"Yes...you value bravery and the safety of your friends above your own._ _And I see that you would do anything for peace, even at the cost of your life. So I know the House just for you: _GRYFFINDOR!"

Many Gryffindor people cheered as Aang felt a sigh of relief and took the Hat off of his head. When he got to the far left table and sat down, two red-haired boys gave him a high-five each and a hearty wink.

He could see the High Table properly now. At the end nearest him sat Hagrid, who caught his eye and nodded happily. And there, in the center of the High Table, in a large gold chair, sat Albus Dumbledore. Aang recognized him at once from when he and his friends arrived at the Leaky Cauldron. The Headmaster's silver hair was the only thing in the whole hall that shone as brightly as the ghosts. Aang spotted Professor Quirrell too, the nervous young man from the Leaky Cauldron, whom he, Katara and Toph already met. He looked very peculiar in a large purple turban.

"Abbott, Hannah!"

A pink-faced girl with blonde pigtails stumbled out of line, put on the hat, which fell right down over her eyes, and sat down. A moment's pause...

"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat.

The table on the right cheered and clapped as Hannah went to sit down at the Hufflepuff table. Aang saw the ghost of the Fat Friar waving merrily at her.

"Bei Fong, Toph!"

The Avatar stopped looking around when he saw Toph walk up to the Sorting Hat and its stool. He saw that she had walked there perfectly, and that may be so, for his EarthBending Sifu could sense the earth around her. With a confident smile on her face, she started...reaching blindly for the hat. McGonagall gave her a confused look before taking the hat off the stool and placing it on Toph's head.

There was another moment of silence. Then... "HUFFLEPUFF!"

Toph looked around, staring in shock. Aang supposed that she didn't want to be in that House, for she had called it a House of "jelly-bellied sissies." Finally, she just shrugged and, shifting her feet around, she finally walked towards the Hufflepuff table.

At first, Aang felt as if his team was going to be separated, but he pushed the thought away. He felt like he and his friends couldn't be in one House all at once. But Aang did worry about what House Sokka would be sorted in. After seeing the Slytherins, who looked stone-faced, he hoped the Water Tribe warrior wasn't sorted in that House.

"Bones, Susan!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!" the House shouted again, and Susan darted off to sit next to Hannah.

"Boot, Terry!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

The table second from the left clapped this time. Several Ravenclaws stood up to shake hands with Terry as he joined them.

"Brocklehurst, Mandy" went to Ravenclaw too, but "Brown, Lavender" became the first new female Gryffindor, and the table on the far left exploded with cheers. Aang could see Ron's twin brothers catcalling.

"Bulstrode, Millicent" then became a Slytherin. Perhaps it was Aang's imagination, after all he had heard from Ron and Hagrid about Slytherin, but he thought they looked like an unpleasant bunch to team up with.

"Finch-Fletchley, Justin!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

Sometimes, Aang noticed, the hat shouted out the House right away, but at others it took a little while to decide. "Finnigan, Seamus," the sandy-haired boy next to Harry in the line, sat on the stool for almost a whole minute before the hat declared him a Gryffindor.

"Granger, Hermione!"

Hermione almost ran to the stool and jammed the hat eagerly on her head.

"GRYFFINDOR!" shouted the hat. Ron groaned while Katara and Sokka clapped for her.

Then... "Katara of the Water Tribe!"

Aang watched in pride as his girlfriend walked nervously over to the Sorting Hat. When she sat down and placed the Hat on her head, she told McGonagall, "Thank you, ma'am."

"For what?" McGonagall asked her, her brow raised.

"For letting me up here," Katara replied.

McGonagall rolled her eyes. "Katara, every first year does this. There is nothing much to thank anyone for anything for other than coming to Hogwarts. Now let the Sorting Hat choose your House."

Katara mumbled an apology and closed her eyes, as if ready to get this over with. It took a while for the Sorting Hat to choose. Then it seemed to whisper, "You've got the fine drive to become the best WaterBender in your world. How very Slytherin-like. But there's also courage. Both Gryffindor and Slytherin value courage. So your House shall be...GRYFFINDOR!"

Aang felt pride flow up into his heart as Katara looked at the Gryffindor table and exchanged a smile of joy with him. She took the Hat off of her head and rushed over to the Gryffindor table right over to him. Aang and Katara greeted each other with a hug, making the other students look at them in a weird way before cheering for the newest Gryffindor.

"Congratulations in being in Gryffindor," Aang murmured to Katara as she sat down. "I'm really proud of you."

"Same to you, Aang," Katara purred back, smiling at him.

When Neville Longbottom, the boy who kept losing his toad, was called, he fell over on his way to the stool. The hat took a long time to decide with Neville. When it shouted, "GRYFFINDOR," Neville ran off still wearing it, and he had to jog back in the midst of gales of laughter to give it to "MacDougal, Morag."

Draco Malfoy, the blond-haired boy Team Avatar and Harry saw in July, strutted forward when his name was called forth and got his wish. The Hat had just touched his head when it screamed, "SLYTHERIN!" Malfoy went to join his fat thuggish friends, looking pleased with himself.

There weren't many people left now. "Moon", "Nott", "Parkinson". Then a pair of twin girls, "Patil" and "Patil". Then "Perks". And then, at last...

"Potter, Harry!"

Aang and his friends looked up from what they were doing, eager to see this Sorting. As Harry stepped forward, whispers suddenly broke out like little hissing fires all over the hall.

"_Potter_, did she say?"

"_The _Harry Potter?"

Harry placed the Hat on his head, but Aang saw that he looked very nervous. Around the Great Hall, people were craning to get a good look at the younger boy. Next second, the Hat had slipped over his bright green eyes. Aang waited.

_Please, Air Nomad spirits. Let Harry be a Gryffindor._

_"__Hmm,"_ the small voice hissed; Aang was astonished to hear the Hat talk with Harry as well as with Katara. "Difficult. Very difficult. Plenty of courage, I see. Not a bad mind either. There's talent, oh my goodness, yes...and a nice thirst to prove yourself, now that's interesting. So where shall I put you?"

Harry gripped the edges of the stool and seemed to be muttering, _Not Slytherin, not Slytherin_.

"Not Slytherin, eh?" the small voice hissed again. "Are you sure? You could be great, you know. It's all here in your head, and Slytherin will help you on the way to greatness, no doubt about that. ...no? Well, if you're sure...better be GRYFFINDOR!"

Aang heard the hat shout the last word to the whole hall. Harry took off the hat and walked quite unsteadily toward the Gryffindor table. He looked relieved to have been chosen and not put in Slytherin, he hardly noticed he was getting the loudest cheer yet. A red-haired boy with glasses got up and shook his hand vigorously, while the twins yelled, "We got Potter! We got Potter!"

Harry sat down opposite the ghost in the ruff Aang and his friends had seen earlier. The ghost patted his arm, making Harry shudder. But his face turned to one of joy as Katara scooted over to sit next to him.

"Good job out there, Harry!" the female WaterBender cheered for him, smiling gently at him.

Aang also scooted over and gave Harry a high-five, which was returned sheepishly.

"Thanks, you two," the black-haired boy told them.

"No problem," Aang told him, smiling. "It's what friends do: they look out for each other."

And now there were only four people left to be sorted.

"Sokka of the Water Tribe!"

Sokka walked over to the stool to put the Hat on his head. He just sat there smiling before the House shouted, "RAVENCLAW!" Looking shocked, Sokka muttered something before sitting down with the people at the Ravenclaw table.

"Thomas, Dean," a Black boy even taller than Ron, joined Harry at the Gryffindor table.

"Turpin, Lisa," became a Ravenclaw and then it was Ron's turn. He was pale green by now. Harry had crossed his fingers under the table and, later, the hat had shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!"

Harry clapped loudly with the rest as Ron collapsed into the chair next to him. Aang and Katara clapped loudly for him while Sokka cheered, "All right! You got your wish, buddy! I'm happy for you, buddy! Really!"

"Well done, Ron. Excellent," the bespectacled red-haired boy said pompously across Harry as "Zabini, Blaise," was made a Slytherin. Professor McGonagall rolled up her scroll and took the Sorting Hat away.

Aang looked down at his empty gold plate. He had only just realized how hungry he was. The egg custard pie he had brought along seemed ages ago.

Albus Dumbledore had gotten to his feet. He was beaming at the students, his arms opened wide, as if nothing could please him more than to see them all there. "Welcome," he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!"

He sat back down. Everybody clapped and cheered. Aang didn't know whether to laugh or not.

"Is he...a bit mad?" Harry asked Percy uncertainly.

"Mad?" Percy repeated cheerfully. "He's a genius! Best wizard in the world! But he is a bit mad, yes. Potatoes, Harry?"

At the Ravenclaw table, Sokka sighed, "Finally! I never thought the food would come in time!" When he looked around, he asked, "Where's it at? Did someone eat it while we were gone?"

Aang rolled his eyes as something amazing happened before their eyes. He and Katara gasped together when they saw what happened.

The dishes in front of him were now piled with food. He had never seen so many things he liked to eat on one table: roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops and lamb chops, sausages, bacon and steak, boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, fries, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup, and, for some strange reason, peppermint humbugs.

Aang and Katara had learned of the foods of this world thanks to staying with the Dursleys for a month. The food in their world included stewed sea prunes or egg custard pies, but this... Harry was piling his plate with a bit of everything except the peppermints and began to eat. Aang, in the meantime, had taken every vegetable instead of meat onto his plate. It was all delicious.

Ron looked over at Aang and asked him, "What's with all the vegetables?"

"I'm a vegetarian," Aang told him. "The Air Nomads hate eating meat."

"Oh," the red-haired boy replied. Then he muttered something to Hermione that made her stare sternly at him: "This kid's loony."

Katara gave Ron an indignant glare, but Aang waved her off from him. This was a time for peace and friendship, not arguments.

"That does look good," the ghost in the ruff said sadly, watching Harry cut up his steak.

"Can't you...?"

The ghost replied, "I haven't eaten for nearly five hundred years. I don't need to, of course, but one does miss it. I don't think I've introduced myself? Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington at your service. Resident ghost of Gryffindor Tower."

"I know who you are!" Ron spoke up suddenly. "My brothers told me about you! You're Nearly Headless Nick!"

"I would _prefer _you to call me Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-" the ghost began stiffly.

But the sandy-haired Seamus Finnigan interrupted, "_Nearly _Headless? How can you be _nearly _headless?"

Sir Nicholas looked extremely miffed, as if their little chat wasn't going at all the way he wanted. "Like _this_," he said irritably.

He seized his left ear and pulled. His whole head swung off his neck and fell onto his shoulder as if it was on a hinge. Aang flinched at this, pushing his plate a little away from him; someone had obviously tried to behead him, but they had not done it properly

Looking pleased at the stunned looks on their faces, Nearly Headless Nick flipped his head back onto his neck, coughed, and said, "So...new Gryffindors! I hope you're going to help us win the house championship this year? Gryffindors have never gone so long without winning. Slytherins have got the cup six years in a row! The Bloody Baron's becoming almost unbearable; he's the Slytherin ghost."

Aang looked over at the Slytherin table and saw a horrible ghost sitting there, with blank staring eyes, a gaunt face, and robes stained with silver blood. He was right next to Draco Malfoy, who, Harry looked pleased to see, didn't look too pleased with the seating arrangements. But Aang felt a little queasy; seeing these ghosts and their bodily wounds made him feel a little sick.

"How did he get covered in blood?" Seamus asked with great interest.

"I've never asked," Nearly Headless Nick replied carefully.

When everyone had eaten as much as they could, the remains of the food faded from the plates, leaving them sparkling clean as before. A moment later, the desserts appeared. Blocks of ice cream in every flavor you could think of, apple pies, treacle tarts, chocolate éclairs and jam donuts, trifle, strawberries, Jell-O, rice pudding...

As Aang helped himself to an apple pie, the talk turned to their families.

"I'm half-and-half," Seamus said. "Me dad's a Muggle. Mom didn't tell him she was a witch 'til after they were married. Bit of a nasty shock for him."

The others laughed.

"What about you, Neville?" Ron asked the round-faced boy.

"Well, my gran brought me up and she's a witch," Neville said. "But the family thought I was all-Muggle for ages. My Great Uncle Algie kept trying to catch me off my guard and force some magic out of me. He pushed me off the end of Blackpool pier once; I nearly drowned."

Katara gasped. "That's horrible!"

Neville held up a hand for silence and said, "Let me finish. Anyways, nothing happened until I was eight. Great Uncle Algie came round for dinner, and he was hanging me out of an upstairs window by the ankles when my Great Auntie Enid offered him a meringue and he accidentally let go. But I bounced...all the way down the garden and into the road. They were all really pleased. Gran was crying; she was so happy."

"Happy you were nearly killed?" Katara asked him in disbelief.

"No. Gran just wanted to see if I had magic," Neville told her before going on. "And you should have seen their faces when I got in here; they thought I might not be magic enough to come, you see. Great Uncle Algie was so pleased he bought me my toad." To Aang and Katara, he asked them, "When did you two start doing magic?"

Aang and Katara exchanged looks. They were going to show them what "magic" they could do.

So Aang looked over Katara's should to ask Ron, "You need something from the table?"

Ron nodded. "There's a treacle tart I can't reach."

"I'll do it!" Aang said, finally happy to show someone AirBending. Holding out his hand, he started twirling it around until a small funnel of air appeared at his fingers. Then, pointing it at the treacle tart, he made the air lift it up and carry it gently over to Ron.

The Gryffindors stared at them in shock. Then one of the twins exclaimed, "Whoa! Wandless magic? Wicked!"

Katara smiled openly and replied, "It's not really magic; it's AirBending. I had to tell my brother the same thing. Aang here is what we call an AirBender. That means he can manipulate the air. And I'm a WaterBender; I can manipulate water or other liquids around me. One of our friends here is an EarthBender; she can see through her feet, so don't remind her that she's blind."

"And I'm the Avatar," Aang piped up. "That means I can manipulate all four elements: water, earth, fire, and air. I'm also the link between our world and our world's spirit world."

"Not to mention he stopped a hundred-year-old war by himself," Katara added, smiling. Seeing the playfully indignant look on her boyfriend's face, she backtracked, "Actually, we also helped him out."

The Weasley twins exchanged sly smiles while the other first years looked amazed at the two Benders. Aang and Katara were pleased they showed the students their Bending skills.

On Harry's other side, Percy Weasley and Hermione were talking about lessons.

"I _do _hope they start right away. There's so much to learn," Hermione was saying to Percy. "I'm particularly interested in Transfiguration. You know, turning something into something else. Of course, it's supposed to be very difficult."

"You'll be starting small," Percy told her. "Just matches into needles and that sort of thing."

Aang, who was starting to feel warm and sleepy, looked up at the High Table again. Hagrid was drinking deeply from his goblet. Professor McGonagall was talking to Professor Dumbledore. Professor Quirrell, in his absurd turban, was talking to a teacher with greasy black hair, a hooked nose, and sallow skin.

It happened very suddenly. The hook-nosed teacher looked past Quirrell's turban straight into Harry's eyes, and the younger boy clapped a hand to his head, groaning, "Ouch!"

"What is it?" Percy asked him.

Sokka, who had heard that students from other Houses were allowed to visit, came over and said, "Yeah, you can tell us. Tell your ol' Uncle Sokka here."

"N-nothing." Then... "Who's that teacher talking to Professor Quirrell?"

Percy looked towards them and spoke to Harry, "Oh, you know Quirrell already, do you? No wonder he's looking so nervous. That's Professor Snape. He teaches Potions, but he doesn't want to; everyone knows he's after Quirrell's job. Knows an awful lot about the Dark Arts, Snape."

Aang and Katara watched Snape for a while, but Snape didn't look at Harry again. It seemed that this man didn't like Harry for some odd reason.

At last, while Sokka got up and walked away back to the Ravenclaw table, the desserts vanished. When Professor Dumbledore got to his feet again, the hall fell silent.

"Ahem...just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you.

"First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well." His twinkling blue eyes flashed in the direction of the Weasley twins.

"I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors. Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch.

"And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."

Harry laughed, but he was one of the few who did. "He's not serious?" he muttered to Percy.

"Must be," Percy replied, looking at Dumbledore. "It's odd, because he usually gives us a reason why we're not allowed to go somewhere. The forest's full of dangerous beasts, everyone knows that. I do think he might have told us prefects, at least."

"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" Dumbledore called. Aang noticed that the other teachers' smiles had become rather fixed.

Dumbledore gave his wand a little flick, as if he was trying to get a fly off the end. A long gold ribbon flew out of it, which rose high above the tables and twisted itself, snakelike, into words.

The Headmaster called out, "Everyone pick their favorite tune, and off we go!"

And the school bellowed:

"_Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,_

_Teach us something please,_

_Whether we be old and bald_

_Or young with scabby knees,_

_Our heads could do with filling_

_With some interesting stuff,_

_For now they're bare and full of air,_

_Dead flies and bits of fluff,_

_So teach us things worth knowing,_

_Bring back what we've forgot,_

_Just do your best, we'll do the rest,_

_And learn until our brains all rot."_

Everybody finished the song at different times. At last, only the Weasley twins were left singing along to a slow funeral march. Dumbledore led their last few lines with his wand and when they had finished, he was one of those who clapped loudest.

"Ah, music," he said, wiping his eyes. "A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!"

The Gryffindor first years followed Percy through the chattering crowds, out of the Great Hall, and up the marble staircase. Aang's legs felt like mud again, but this was only because he was so tired and full of food. He was too sleepy even to be surprised that the people in the pictures along the corridors whispered and pointed as they passed, but he had seen pictures move before. Aang found it out the night he and Katara spent the night together in the Leaky Cauldron.

Percy led them through doorways hidden behind sliding panels and hanging tapestries. They climbed more staircases, yawning and dragging their feet, and Aang was wondering how much farther they had to go when they came to a sudden halt.

A bundle of walking sticks was floating in midair ahead of them, and as Percy took a step toward them they started throwing themselves at him.

Percy whispered to the first years, "Peeves. A poltergeist." He raised his voice. "Peeves, show yourself."

A loud, rude sound, like the air being let out of a balloon, answered.

"Do you want me to go to the Bloody Baron?"

There was a pop, and a little man with wicked, dark eyes and a wide mouth appeared. He was floating cross-legged in the air, clutching the walking sticks.

"Oooooh!" he said, with an evil cackle. "Ickle Firsties! What fun!" He swooped suddenly at them. They all ducked.

"Go away, Peeves, or the Baron will hear about this! I mean it!" Percy barked.

Peeves stuck out his tongue and vanished, dropping the walking sticks on Neville's head; Aang heard Katara sigh with sympathy towards the round-faced boy. They heard Peeves zooming away, rattling coats of armor as he passed.

As they set off again, Percy warned them, "You want to watch out for Peeves. The Bloody Baron's the only one who can control him; he won't even listen to us prefects. Here we are."

At the very end of the corridor hung a portrait of a very fat woman in a pink silk dress.

"Password?" she said.

"Caput Draconis," Percy replied.

And the portrait swung forward to reveal a round hole in the wall. They all scrambled through it (Neville needed a leg up) and found themselves in the Gryffindor common room. It was a cozy round room full of squashy armchairs.

Percy directed the girls through one door to their dormitory and the boys through another. At the top of a spiral staircase (they were obviously in one of the towers) they found their beds at last: six four-posters hung with deep red, velvet curtains. Their trunks had already been brought up.

"Hold on for a moment," Aang told the five other boys (Harry, Ron, Dean, Seamus, and Neville). "I gotta go do something first."

The other boys nodded and Aang walked down the stairs to the common room. Sitting on one of the armchairs was Katara; she had taken off her mother's necklace and was staring down at it. Aang walked over to her and sat down next to her.

When she looked up, Katara greeted him, "Hey, Aang. I was telling the other girls I had to do something quick."

"Same with me," Aang told her. Then... "So what're you doing down here?"

"I was thinking if the spirits from our spirit world would cross over to here," Katara admitted. "You know...I wonder if our mom knows where we are. I wonder how she's doing in the spirit world."

Aang held her hand in his as he asked her, "You miss her a lot, huh?"

Katara nodded, a tear or two in her eyes. "Yes. I miss her so much."

"Well...wherever she might be at in the spirit world, I'm sure she'll be proud of you. And I mean it," he added, looking into her gorgeous blue eyes as she smiled weakly at him. Then he leaned towards her and kissed her gently on the lips, whispering, "I better go to sleep. I'll see you in the morning, Katara. Love you, sweetheart."

"Love you too, sweetie," Katara murmured back, rubbing her head against his. "Good night."

"Good night," Aang replied back before going up to the boys' dorm. Noticing that the others were fast asleep, he fell back into his bed, burrowed under the covers, and fell asleep.

It had been an eventful day.

_To be continued..._

**...**

**AvatarCat11: I hope everyone likes this chapter, 'cause I sure do! And I hope everyone's happy with the House Sorting I made with Team Avatar. And during the school years, Team Avatar will start telling everyone about their Bending abilities. Except for Sokka, who's gonna show everyone his weapons like his...BOOMERANG!**

**Okay, jokes aside, let's go on with the review! Anyone who reads this chapter and presses the review button below and reviews, they get virtual Santa crackers! It's a cracker with icing for the eyes, marshmallows for the beard and thing for the hat, and a red gumdrop for the nose. And here's the preview for the next chapter called The Potions Master.**

**Preview: Toph and her teammates are getting used to their new surroundings, and their lessons are amazing as well. When one Potions class starts, Toph feels as if there is something wrong with him.**

**See ya next time! And Merry early Christmas!**


	8. The Potions Master

**AvatarCat12: This will be the first time I updated Avatar Aang And The Sorcerer's Stone this year. But I might have to work even harder at this; if not, it'll be forgotten like my other stories, which I should update.**

**For the past few chapters, you've seen plenty of Kataang fluffy stuff, right? Well, on this chapter, there won't be...yet. And I plan on that because they want to wait until they tell everyone they're a couple.**

**...I shouldn't have said that. I should NOT have said that! That was a spoiler! Now let's just go on with the disclaimer and summary for this chapter.**

**Disclaimer: Avatar: The Last AirBender and Harry Potter don't belong to me. Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko, and J.K. Rowling own them.**

**Summary: It's the first week of witch-&-wizard school for Team Avatar! And one day, Toph eavesdrops on a Potions class to learn Potions. Not only that, but she develops a kind of ability to sense her way around Hogwarts.**

**Updating Date: January 20, 2012**

**Enjoy!**

**...**

_The Potions Master_

"There, look."

"Where?"

"Next to the tall kid with the red hair."

"Don't forget that kid with the ponyt...I mean...warrior wolf's tail!"

"Wearing the glasses?"

"Did you see his face?"

"Did you see his scar?"

Words reached Toph's ears from the moment she left her dormitory the next day. People lining up outside classrooms stood on tiptoe to get a look at Harry, or they doubled back to pass him in the corridors again, staring. Toph wished they wouldn't, because she could tell Harry was trying to concentrate on finding his way to classes. Ignoring a hello from Justin Finch-Fletchy, the master EarthBender walked away and began exploring.

There were a hundred and forty-two staircases at Hogwarts. There were wide sweeping ones; narrow rickety ones, some that led somewhere different on a Friday, and some with a vanishing step halfway up that you had to remember to jump. Then there were doors that wouldn't open unless you asked politely or tickled them in exactly the right place, and doors that were just solid walls just pretending to be doors. It was also hard to remember where anything was, because it all seemed to move around a lot.

"Then perhaps you should get a map," Aang joked with her when she told him at breakfast about the staircases.

But Katara had said, "She can't read, remember? And I remembered a certain prank about that as well."

Toph rolled her eyes at her and had decided to continue exploring.

The people in the portraits kept visiting each other, and Toph was sure the coats of armor could walk. The ghosts didn't help, either. It was always a nasty shock when one of them glided suddenly through a door she was trying to open. Nearly Headless Nick was always happy to point new Gryffindors in the right direction, and the same went for the Fat Friar.

But Peeves the Poltergeist was worth two locked doors and a trick staircase if you met him when you were late for class. He would drop wastepaper baskets on your head, pull rugs from under your feet, pelt you with bits of chalk, or other stuff. He would even sneak up behind you while invisible, grab your nose, and screech, "GOT YOUR CONK!"

Even worse than Peeves, if that was possible, was the caretaker, Argus Filch. Toph managed to get on the wrong side of him on their very first morning. Filch found her trying to force their way through a door that unluckily turned out to be the entrance to the out-of-bounds corridor on the third floor. He wouldn't believe she was lost, was sure she was trying to break into it on purpose and was threatening to lock her in the dungeons.

But she was saved by Sokka, who told Filch that Peeves was demolishing one of the classrooms. Toph later learned that Peeves wasn't doing that, but she was thankful for Sokka's help. Her mild crush on him was resurfacing, but she had managed to push it down good.

Filch's pet was named Mrs. Norris, a scrawny brown tabby she-cat with large yellow eyes just like her master's; it was like Aang and Appa having their AirBending tattoos. She patrolled the corridors alone, but she filled this role with pride. Break a rule in front of her, put one toe out of line, and she would run off for Filch, who would appear while wheezing two seconds later.

Filch knew the secret passages of the school better than anyone (except the Weasley twins) and could pop up as suddenly as any of the ghosts. The students all hated him, and it was the dearest ambition of many to give Mrs. Norris a good kick. As for the passages, Toph had started learning them from sensing the earth around the portraits.

And then, once you had managed to find them, there were the classes themselves. There was a lot more to magic, as Harry quickly found out, than waving your wand and saying a few funny words.

**...**

They had to study the night skies through telescopes every Wednesday night and learn the names of stars and the actions of the planets. Three times a week, they went out to greenhouses behind the castle to study Herbology with a stout witch called Professor Sprout. With her, they learned how to take care of all the strange plants and fungi and found out what they were used for. Aang liked this class, and Toph could tell, for the AirBender really loved nature; if he was great with animals, he would be great with plants too.

The most boring class was History of Magic, which was the only one that was taught by a ghost. Professor Binns was very old indeed when he fell asleep in front of the staff room fire and got up next morning to teach, leaving his body behind him. Binns droned on and on while they jotted down names and dates, and got Emetic the Evil and Uric the Oddball mixed up. Easily, Katara was one of the only two students (besides Hermione) who paid attention in this class.

Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher, was a tiny little wizard who had to stand on a pile of books to see over his desk. At the start of their first class, he took the roll call like any teacher would. When he reached Harry's name, he gave an excited squeak and toppled out of sight.

Professor McGonagall was again different. Aang had told Toph and the others that she wasn't a teacher to cross; for once, Toph agreed with him about a teacher. Strict and clever, she gave them a talking-to the moment they sat down in her first class.

"Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts," she said. "Anyone messing around in my class will leave and not come back. You have been warned." Then she changed her desk into a pig and back again.

They were all very impressed and couldn't wait to get started, but they soon realized they weren't going to be changing the furniture into animals for a long time. After taking a lot of complicated notes, they were each given a match and started trying to turn it into a needle. By the end of the lesson, only Hermione Granger had made any difference to her match; Professor McGonagall showed the class how it had gone all silver and pointy and gave Hermione a rare smile.

At lunch after that, Aang and Katara told Toph and Sokka about how McGonagall turned herself into a cat and back again when they were late for class. Toph felt rather amused about wizards being animals; if SHE was an animal, she would rather be a badger-mole.

The class everyone looked forward to was Defense Against the Dark Arts, but Quirrell's lessons turned out to be a bit of a joke. His classroom smelled strongly of garlic, which everyone said was to ward off a vampire he met in Romania and was afraid would be back to get him one of these days. His turban, he told them, was given to him by an African prince as a thank-you for getting rid of a difficult zombie, but they weren't sure they believed this story.

For one thing, when Seamus Finnigan asked to hear how Quirrell fought off the zombie, Quirrell went pink and started talking about the weather. For another, Sokka noticed an odd odor hanging around the turban, and the Weasley twins insisted that it was stuffed full of garlic as well. They said that Quirrell was protected by it wherever he went.

Toph raised her eyebrows at this. She didn't know why, but she didn't like Quirrell or his turban, which she thought to be mentioned too much for her liking.

She was relieved to see that Harry wasn't behind everyone else. Lots of people had come from non-magical families and, like him, hadn't had any idea that they were witches and wizards. There was so much to learn that people like Ron didn't have much of a head start. Even Team Avatar, who were born in a different world, were able to understand much of this new stuff.

**...**

Friday was an important day for Toph. She finally managed to find her way down to the Great Hall for breakfast without getting lost once. Earlier, Team Avatar had asked Dumbledore if they could eat together sometimes, and the Headmaster agreed. But if they could sit with their correct Houses for weekends, it would be all right.

When Toph got down for breakfast, she could hear Aang, Katara, and Harry talking about the world of Avatar. Ron and Sokka were also joking around with each other. And Momo, who had been able to go into the castle, was trying to pull a letter away from a great horned owl.

"Momo, leave the owl alone," Aang gently chided the lemur. "He's just doing his job."

Momo chattered a bit before letting the owl go. Then he ran across the table over to Aang, who smiled and handed him a peach.

"Looks like that lemur likes his peaches," Harry commented.

"Oh, he does," Katara replied, sounding amused. "His name means 'peach.'"

Toph could hear Hermione say with amazement, "That's in Japanese! How'd you know his name means 'peach?'"

Aang told her, "Um...I only named him that because he likes moon peaches. They're a different kind of peach."

"What have we got today?" Harry asked Ron as he started getting breakfast.

"Double Potions with the Slytherins," Ron replied. "Snape's Head of Slytherin House. They say he always favors them; we'll be able to see if it's true."

"Wish McGonagall favored us," Harry muttered glumly.

Toph knew what he was talking about. Professor McGonagall was head of Gryffindor House, but it didn't stop her from giving them (and any Hufflepuff in her classes) a huge pile of homework the day before.

Sokka patted him on the shoulder, saying, "I'm with ya, buddy. Take it from a Ravenclaw like me: Potions...ain't your best subject. Try something else. McGonagall might help you out."

Just then, the mail arrived. Team Avatar had gotten used to this by now, but it had given them a bit of a shock on the first morning, when about a hundred owls had suddenly streamed into the Great Hall during breakfast, circling the tables until they saw their owners, and dropping letters and packages onto their laps.

Hedwig hadn't brought Harry anything so far. She sometimes flew in to nibble his ear and have a bit of toast before going off to sleep in the Owlery with the other school owls. But other than that, she sadly didn't have anything else for him.

"Aww, your owl wants to cheer you up," Katara had cooed to him at breakfast one morning.

"Yeah, she's great," Harry had replied happily.

This morning, however, Hedwig fluttered down between the marmalade and the sugar bowl and dropped a note onto Harry's plate. Toph felt excitement run through Harry's body as he saw the letter drop down in front of him.

Harry tore it open at once. He read in a very untidy scrawl:

_Dear Harry,_

_I know you get Friday afternoons off, so would you like to come and have a cup of tea with me around three?_

_I want to hear all about your first week. Send us an answer back with Hedwig._

_Hagrid_

_P.S: It looks like you and Team Avatar are getting along well. All five of you can come over if you'd like._

Harry borrowed Ron's quill, scribbled _Yes please. See you later _on the back of the note, and sent Hedwig off again. But right when Hedwig flew off, Sokka's voice rang through the Great Hall in shock and joy.

"HAWKY!"

Toph tried to look up despite being blind. The last time she heard from Hawky, the messenger hawk had been away to give her parents a letter Katara wrote for her. But sure enough, she could hear the familiar flutter of wings as Hawky landed on the table. And Sokka was right there beside him, cuddling him and saying how much he missed him so.

"What's Hawky doing here?" Katara asked in wonder. "I thought he was with Toph's parents?"

"Wait, what d'you mean 'he was at Toph's house?'" Sokka asked her with suspicion.

Katara had to explain everything she and Toph had done to give a message to her parents while Aang explained about how messenger hawks were like the owl version of carrier birds. At first, the Gryffindors were shocked that it wasn't just owls that delivered letters, but they warmed up to the dragon hawk right away.

However, right away, Toph could hear a hissing sound; Momo didn't sound happy at all about Hawky's return. So, after a bit of fighting, they were separated by Sokka and Aang, the latter telling Momo to behave. As for Harry, he was lucky he had tea with Hagrid to look forward to, because the Potions lesson turned out to be the worst thing that had happened to him so far. And Toph knew why

At the start-of-term banquet, Toph got the idea that Snape disliked Harry. By the end of the first Potions lesson, she knew she was wrong. Snape didn't dislike Harry; he _hated _him.

**...**

Potions lessons took place down in one of the dungeons. It was colder here than up in the main castle, and would have been quite creepy enough without the pickled animals floating in glass jars all around the walls. Snape, like Flitwick, started the class by taking the roll call, and like Flitwick, he paused at Harry's name.

"Ah, Yes," he said softly. "Harry Potter. Our new..._celebrity_."

Draco Malfoy and his thugs Crabbe and Goyle snickered nastily; Toph, who was eavesdropping from the door while on break, snorted with contempt. However, she stopped when Snape began speaking.

"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion making," he began. He spoke in barely more than a whisper, but they caught every word; like Professor McGonagall, Snape had the gift of keeping a class silent without effort.

"As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses. I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, and even stopper death...if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."

"It wasn't that bad until he called us dunderheads," Toph heard Aang whisper to Katara; it was clear that Gryffindors and Slytherins were sharing this class.

More silence followed this little speech. Toph could feel disbelief radiating from Harry and Ron as they faced each other. Hermione Granger, on the other hand, was on the edge of her seat and looked desperate to start proving she wasn't a dunderhead.

"Potter!" Snape barked suddenly. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

_Powdered root of what to an infusion of what_? Toph could feel the question in Harry's mind. In the meantime, Hermione's hand had shot into the air. Toph rolled her eyes at that. This chick must have gotten an advanced book if she knew the answer to that.

"I don't know, sir," Harry replied.

Snape sneered. "Tut, tut. Fame clearly isn't everything. Let's try again. Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"

Hermione stretched her hand as high into the air as she could without her leaving her seat, but Toph was sure Harry didn't have the faintest idea what a bezoar was. But as she heard Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle shaking with laughter, she stomped the ground silently and hears three yelps of pain.

"I don't know, sir," Harry said again.

"Thought you wouldn't open a book before coming, eh, Potter?" Snape jeered.

Toph forced herself to keep calm no matter what. She had asked Sokka to look through the books at her parents' house, and she tried hard to remember. But did Snape expect Harry to remember everything in _One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi right _away?

Snape went on, "What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?"

At this, Hermione stood up, her hand stretching toward the dungeon ceiling. Toph sighed; she had heard this girl saying that these weren't first-year potions.

_Man, she really is eager, isn't she?_ Toph laughed to herself.

"I don't know," Harry replied quietly. "I think Hermione does, though. Why don't you try her?"

A few people laughed. Toph ended up encasing herself in a case of earth to start laughing her head off so that no one could hear. Right away, when she heard Snape growl to himself, the blind MetalBender forced the earth back into the floor and listened again.

"Sit down," Snape was barking at Hermione. To Harry, he growled, "For your information, Potter, asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death. A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons. As for monkshood and wolfsbane, they are the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite. Well? Why aren't you all copying that down?"

There was a sudden rummaging for quills and parchment. Over the noise, Snape said, "And a point will be taken from Gryffindor House for your cheek, Potter."

"That's not fair," Katara was muttering to Aang as she wrote.

"It's not that bad, actually," Aang told her. "At least it's better than fifty points, right?"

Things didn't improve for the Gryffindors as the Potions lesson continued; Toph was yawning from all the boredom. Snape put them all into pairs and set them to mixing up a simple potion to cure boils. He swept around in his long black cloak, watching them weigh dried nettles and crush snake fangs, criticizing almost everyone except Malfoy, whom he seemed to like. He was telling everyone to look at the way Malfoy stewed his horned slugs when clouds of acid green smoke and a loud hissing filled the dungeon.

Neville had appeared to have melted Seamus's cauldron into a twisted blob, and their potion was seeping across the stone floor, burning holes in people's shoes. Within seconds, the whole class was standing on their stools while Neville, drenched in the potion when the cauldron collapsed, moaned in pain as angry red boils sprang up all over his arms and legs.

"Idiot boy!" Snape spat.

"Hey, don't say that!" Katara retorted angrily. "It was an accident!"

Clearing the spilled potion away with one wave of his wand, Snape ignored her as he went on to Neville. "I suppose you added the porcupine quills before taking the cauldron off the fire?"

Neville whimpered.

"Take him up to the hospital wing," Snape spat at Seamus. Then he rounded on Harry and Ron, who were working next to Neville. "You, Potter, why didn't you tell him not to add the quills? Thought he'd make you look good if he got it wrong, did you? That's another point you've lost for Gryffindor."

This was so unfair that Harry opened his mouth to argue, and Toph wanted him to shout at him. But Ron kicked him behind their cauldron, which made Toph sigh with displeasure.

"Don't push it," he muttered. "I've heard Snape can turn very nasty."

Snape turned to Katara and growled, "Oh, and five points from Gryffindor for challenging a teacher during lessons."

Toph could feel indignation boil up inside the WaterBender, but Katara remained silent. Aang was giving Snape a shocked look mixed with indignation. Snape, however, just ignored the Avatar and continued the lesson as if the incident never happened.

As they climbed the steps out of the dungeon an hour later, Toph's mind was racing and she felt that Harry's spirits were low. He and Katara had lost five points for Gryffindor in his very first week, but _why _did Snape hate Harry so much?

"Cheer up," Ron assured Harry as they and Team Avatar walked up to the Great Hall. "Snape's always taking points off Fred and George. Can I come and meet Hagrid with you?"

Harry nodded while Sokka said, "Sure you can! Here's an easy way to spot him: he's big, has a black beard, and isn't that dangerous at all. Think of him as a...a saber-tooth moose lion that acts like a big ol' polar dog."

**...**

At five to three in the afternoon, Harry, Ron, and Team Avatar left the castle and made their way across the grounds. Hagrid lived in a small wooden house on the edge of the forbidden forest. A crossbow and a pair of galoshes were outside the front door.

When Harry and Aang knocked, they heard a frantic scrabbling from inside and several booming barks. Then Hagrid's voice rang out, saying, "_Back_, Fang, _back_."

Hagrid's big hairy face appeared in the crack as he pulled the door open, saying, "Hang on, you six. _Back,_ Fang."

He let them in, struggling to keep a hold on the collar of an enormous black boarhound, a dog bigger than Katara's dog, Gin. There was only one room inside; hams and pheasants hung from the ceiling (Aang felt revolted at that), a copper kettle was boiling on the open fire, and in the corner stood a massive bed with a patchwork quilt over it. It felt like one good place to live in, if Toph could only feel any wood at all.

"Make yerselves at home," Hagrid said. He let go of Fang, who bounded straight at Ron and started licking him all over before leaping at Toph. Like Hagrid, Fang was clearly not as fierce as he looked.

"This is Ron," Harry told Hagrid, who was pouring boiling water into a large teapot and putting rock cakes onto a plate.

"Another Weasley, eh?" Hagrid said, seeming to be glancing at Ron's freckles.

"Oh, way to make him feel special," Sokka joked.

Hagrid chuckled back. "Thanks there, young'un. Anyways, Ron, I spent half me life chasin' yer twin brothers away from the forest."

The rock cakes were shapeless lumps with raisins that almost broke their teeth, but Hagrid's six visitors pretended to like them as they told Hagrid all about their first lessons. Fang rested his head on Harry's knee and drooled all over his robes.

Team Avatar, Harry, and Ron were delighted to hear Hagrid call Filch "that old git." Hagrid then said, "An' as fer that cat, Mrs. Norris, I'd like ter introduce her to Fang sometime. D'yeh know, every time I go up ter the school, she follows me everywhere? Can't get rid of her; Filch puts her up to it."

Harry and Toph told Hagrid about Snape's lesson; when the others gave her shocked looks, the young blind EarthBender had to explain how she used her seismic senses to eavesdrop. Hagrid, like Ron, told Harry not to worry about it, that Snape liked hardly any of the students.

"But he seemed to really _hate _me," Harry insisted.

Hagrid replied, "Rubbish! Why should he?"

Yet Toph couldn't help thinking that Hagrid didn't quite meet his eyes when he said that.

"How's yer brother Charlie?" Hagrid asked Ron. "I liked him a lot. Great with animals. Besides," he added, turning towards Aang, "I met that big white animal yeh got there, Aang. He seems like a friendly bloke, but he sure don't like fire."

"Yeah, Appa got a bad fear of fire ever since he was stolen," Aang replied, sounding uneasy. "Not only that, but he doesn't like being in tight spaces."

Katara added, "And I heard Fang and Gin are getting along. You being a good boy to Hagrid?" she added to her dog, which came in to greet his owner.

Toph wondered if Hagrid and Aang had changed the subject on purpose. While Ron told Hagrid about Charlie's work with dragons and Aang talking about the animals in their world, Harry picked up a piece of paper that was lying on the table under the tea cozy. It was a cutting from the _Daily Prophet_.

Suddenly, Toph heard Sokka gasp, "Toph! Look!"

"I can't, Snoozles. I'm BLIND, remember?" Toph reminded him.

"Okay, okay! Sheesh!" the Water Tribe warrior retorted before reading.

_GRINGOTTS BREAK-IN LATEST_

_Investigations continue into the break-in at Gringotts on 31 July, widely believed to be the work of Dark wizards or witches unknown. Gringotts goblins today insisted that nothing had been taken. The vault that was searched had in fact been emptied the same day._

"_But we're not telling you what was in there, so keep your noses out if you know what's good for you," said a Gringotts spokesgoblin this afternoon._

"Hagrid!" Harry said suddenly, "that Gringotts break-in happened on my birthday! It might've been happening while we were there!"

There was no doubt about it, Hagrid definitely didn't meet Harry's eyes this time. He grunted and offered him a second rock cake. Harry read the story again and muttered, _The vault that was searched had in fact been emptied earlier that same day._

Toph took a rock cake, not really minding the taste or texture, and started thinking. Hagrid had emptied vault seven hundred and thirteen, if you could call it emptying, taking out that grubby little package. Had that been what the thieves were looking for?

As Harry, Ron, and Team Avatar (plus Gin and Momo) went back to the castle for dinner, their pockets weighed down with rock cakes they were too polite to refuse (except for Toph, who accepted them gladly) Toph thought that none of the lessons she had so far gave her as much to think about as tea with Hagrid. Did Hagrid collect that package just in time? Where was it now? And did Hagrid know something about Snape that he didn't want to tell Team Avatar?

_To be continued..._

**...**

**AvatarCat12: I hope everyone likes this chapter a lot. Since Hawky's back and Toph can now sense her way around the school with no problem! And I'm sorry if I've been ignoring my other stories; it's that I've been getting distracted a lot.**

**Now here are the previews for two chapters. You can decide which goes first. First will be the summary for Bending Class, and the second will be The Midnight Duel.**

**Preview: Aang, Katara and Toph feel up to Bending practice one afternoon, so they decide to show the students their Bending. While they explain their Bending, Sokka shows them his weapons. How will the students react to this?**

**Preview: Aang and Katara go on to Quidditch practice, where a string of events happens which end in a duel. But there are some other surprises which even Team Avatar can't believe.**

**All right, those are the previews. If you want the first-mentioned chapter to be shown, then I'll post it. The same will go for the second chapter. If the first-mentioned chapter gets shown first, I'll post the second-mentioned chapter. Flames will be used to burn the Devil's Snare, and constructive criticism is allowed as long as it's not harsh.**

**See ya next time!**


	9. Bending Class

**AvatarCat12: It's been a little while since I uploaded Avatar Aang And The Sorcerer's Stone, and I've already had an unexpected unposted poll come up. Already, it seems like I can put up the chapter before The Midnight Duel. **

**And I'll explain why Aang and Katara don't show them that they're in a relationship. It would make them think they just got together, so I think I might show it on Book 4. And I might add some swimming scenes and more Appa or Momo scenes.**

**But that's enough for now. Let's go on with the disclaimer. And one more thing. The second Seeker Bears series (Return To The Wild) came out on Tuesday!**

**Disclaimer: Avatar: The Last AirBender and Harry Potter don't belong to me. Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko, and J.K. Rowling own them.**

**Summary: ****Aang, Katara and Toph feel up to Bending practice one afternoon, so they decide to show the students their Bending. While they explain their Bending, Sokka shows them his weapons. How will the students react to this?**

**Updating Date: February 13, 2012**

**Enjoy!**

**...**

_Bending Lessons_

Aang waited until the other boys and girls of Gryffindor were gone, downstairs for breakfast in the Great Hall. He and Katara had still been hiding their relationship from the other students except for Harry and Ron, but Hermione, the bookworm girl, seemed to know this already. The Avatar felt guilty for not telling anyone else about it, but it was for the best.

A few minutes later, Katara had arrived downstairs, seemingly busy in brushing her long dark brown hair. When he saw this sight, her glowing in the morning light, Aang felt his heart race as it had always done when he saw her. He had always loved her for four reasons: her kindness (except if she got really angry), her WaterBending power, and her beauty.

When Katara got near Aang, he stepped forward and scooped her up in his arms, making her yelp in surprise. He kissed her on the cheek and greeted her, "Good morning, sweetheart."

"Good morning to you too, sweetie," Katara replied, planting a kiss on his lips. "Did you sleep good last night?"

"Yeah," he replied, smoothing her long dark brown hair between his fingers. While he ran his fingers through it, Aang told her, "Well, today's our first weekend at Hogwarts. What do you wanna do today?"

Katara looked away, her arms still wrapped around her AirBender boyfriend's neck. Then she looked back at him and replied, "How about we practice your WaterBending? I see you still have room for improvement."

Aang blushed at this remark. It was true he still needed work in WaterBending; despite having already saved his world, there was a lot more to study in WaterBending and the other elements. He still had a lot to learn about EarthBending from Toph. As for FireBending, Zuko wasn't around to help him, so he would have to use the best he could.

So he turned back to Katara and answered her, "Sure. I still have to...and want to...learn much from you, Sifu Katara."

"Thanks," Katara purred, leaning up and brushing her cheek against his. Then it turned a bit deeper as he started kissing her neck, making her mew and giggle with glee as she continued brushing her nose against his ear.

"Oi! Are you two gonna come down to breakfast or what?"

Ron's voice made Aang put Katara down and look towards the portrait door. They shared an embarrassed look before they followed the voice down to breakfast.

**...**

**(Author's Note: Okay, just to tell you this, everyone. Some of the extra chapters will have the POVs of Harry...or Ron or Hermione or someone else. Just to let you know.)**

As Aang and Katara arrived at the Great Hall together and sat down for breakfast, Harry shared a look with them while he piled a few slices of bacon on his plate. He knew that Aang and Katara promised him to not tell anyone yet about their relationship until the time came. However, after seeing how much those two would always hang out together, there was word that they "could get together."

Beside him, Sokka had come over from the Ravenclaw table to chat with Ron, joking together like they were best friends. And Toph had come over from the Hufflepuff table to have a chat with Hermione, but she seemed to bore the EarthBender to sleep. Feeling that it would be too rude to sleep while a friend was talking, Harry reached over beside him and poked her awake.

"Whoa! FireBenders!" Toph shouted crazily, knocking Harry out of his seat with a pillar of earth. Everyone gasped at this, then they glared at Toph for attacking The Boy Who Lived. She giggled, "Heh-heh...my bad, Harry."

"It's okay. It was just an accident," Harry told everyone, rubbing the back of his head. He was thankful it didn't hurt, but it still hurt like a rock a bully would throw at a kid at school.

Meanwhile, Sokka was telling Ron about the Ember Island Players, some kind of actors that were from Team Avatar's world. And by the looks of it, Ron was having a hard time not to laugh out loud.

"It was a good play, but it had decent actors," Sokka was saying. "So anyways, Suki (she's my girlfriend) and I snuck backstage to give my actor funny jokes to practice. And I even put in the part of Aang and Toph having a _rocky friendship_!" At this, he began laughing out loud and fell out of his seat.

Ron did the same thing, choking, "Blimey! I wish I was there to see that!"

Sokka sat up, adding, "Yeah, I know! You know, she's Earth and he's Air! And Aang's actor, believe it or not...was a woman!"

"Really?" Ron asked him with awe. When Sokka nodded, they both fell down on the ground laughing.

Harry, Aang, Katara, and Hermione rolled their eyes while Toph just went back to breakfast. Then, as one candle went out above them on the ceiling, Aang balanced a small plume of fire in his palm before firing it at the candle above him. When this was done, he pulled the flame down and back into his palm before dissipating it with air.

This action gave him different looks from the other three Houses, for the Gryffindors had already seen the Bending. The Ravenclaws had looks of shock and the Hufflepuffs had looks of awe and eagerness, but the Slytherins had disdainful looks. But Harry was fascinated; he wondered why Aang and Katara hadn't shown their Bending to others back at home.

"Speaking of Bending, Aang," Katara spoke up as she got up from her seat, "we have to go down to the lake for Bending practice. Should we go now?"

"I wanna come with you two," Toph added, standing up and stuffing a croissant in her pocket. "It's time we whipped your EarthBending back into shape, Twinkletoes."

Aang stood up also and whipped up an Air Scooter, racing over to the entrance of the Great Hall. "Come on, you snail sloths!" he called over his shoulder. "Let's get over to the lake!"

At the staff table, the teachers looked up in confusion at where Aang went off to. McGonagall had a look of confusion on her old stern face, while Snape had a look of mild contempt. Hagrid looked really interested, and the other teachers had the same looks. Only Dumbledore was the one who stood up, holding out his arms to address everyone.

"Everyone assemble at the lake," the Headmaster told them all. "I believe some of our students wish to share their knowledge of Bending with us."

With that said, the Heads of Houses went out among the students and started gathering the students together. At once, they all got up and began following their teachers out the door, Toph and Sokka leading them along the way. Harry looked back to see Malfoy and his cronies Crabbe and Goyle muttering together, and that didn't sound good. Plus, there was a girl with a pug-like face, making her look very ugly.

Harry didn't like the sound of what Malfoy and his cronies were talking about. But today was a new day for learning at Hogwarts, and Ron and Hermione also looked excited. In fact, everyone besides the Slytherins (minus a Hufflepuff or two) looked interested and eager to see more of this Bending.

"So what do you think of it, Ron?" Harry asked, turning towards his friend.

"I think it'll be very interesting," Hermione spoke up. "But I hate to imagine for any damage to the lake."

Ron rolled his eyes at her. "Honestly, Hermione, you're acting like one of those big waves of water that destroys stuff."

Hermione stared sternly at him. "You mean a tsunami?"

"Yeah, that! How is it you know everything?"

But Harry waved off their argument and said, "That's enough. Now let's go!"

**...**

They didn't have that far to walk to the lake. Around them, the scenery was slowly awakening to the welcoming morning sun rising over the highlands. Harry could see Aang's flying lemur, Momo, carefully placing a paw into a pond before grabbing a fish. The fish turned to slap Momo on the face before leaping back into its home, making the lemur chatter angrily. Beside him, Harry saw Aang's flying bison, Appa, gently munching on leaves from a nearby tree.

Harry could imagine what it would be like to be a Bender; a gentle WaterBender like Katara, a strong EarthBender like Toph, or a peaceful AirBender like Aang. He had even heard of a person called Zuko who was Aang's FireBending teacher. If this Zuko person would come over to the castle, then he would be a fierce FireBender like him.

Before anyone else could say anything, there was a splash of water and a call of "Try harder, Aang!" coming from the lake. When everyone got there, they saw Aang and Katara sending a large wave of water in between each other. Those two appeared to be pushing and pulling the water as if they were charming a snake out of a hole. Then Katara let Aang wash the water over her body, drenching her clothes and leaving her sopping wet.

"Nice job there, Pupil Aang," Katara praised him, bowing before him before removing the water from her clothes with WaterBending.

"Thank you, Sifu Katara!" the young monk answered, bowing back to her.

At this, Toph moved forward and pushed past Professors Snape and Sprout, shouting, "Yo! Over here, Twinkletoes and Sugar Queen!"

She quickly stomped her foot on the ground and brought up a round piece of rock in front of her. Smirking, she leaped forward and gave it a massive kick, sending it rolling forward towards Aang and Katara. But before it could hit them, Aang covered his fists with moss-covered earth and punched at it. The rock shattered before it could connect with either of them, debris falling to the ground.

Many of the students and teachers gasped with awe except for the Slytherins and Argus Filch, the caretaker of Hogwarts. His cat, Mrs. Norris, was hissing with fear at the sight of what the Dursleys would call "freakish nature."

"Mister Aang and Miss Katara," McGonagall called out. "How on earth did you pull all that off? You didn't even get a scratch on either of you. The same question goes for you as well, Miss Bei Fong."

"If I can speak, Professor." Sokka was pushing himself up to the front of the group and smiled in a rather smug way. "My friend the Avatar, as you can see here before your very eyes, and my sister are Benders." Seeing Toph give him a glare, he added, "...and so is Toph."

Dumbledore was nodding. "I indeed remember General Iroh showing us his FireBending moves. Do you remember that, Minerva?"

McGonagall looked down, looking embarrassed at forgetting something. "Yes...I forgot about that, Albus."

"It is just a common mistake, my friend; everyone makes them sometimes," the old man replied merrily to her. Turning to Team Avatar, he asked them, "Team Avatar, would you like to show everyone here a few more of your arts?"

"Yes sir!" Aang replied politely, bowing down excitedly. Taking out his staff and pulling out the glider wings, he cried, "Check _this_ out!"

He got onto the glider and, blowing out a stream of air from his mouth, hovered into the air and started gliding. Laughing as he flew, he flew around the students and flew past a very startled barn owl as he soared through the clouds. Harry had seen broomsticks before that could fly, but he had no idea a staff was also used for flying.

Next, Katara was waving her arms around, causing the water from the lake to become a flowing tide that reached the tips of her feet. When the waves touched her toes, she blew an icy breath wind onto the water and waited until it became frozen. Then the WaterBender got on top of the ice and started skating around on it, melting the water with quick movements of her hands. For the finale, Aang swooped down to her, letting her cling onto him as they flew back to land.

Finally, Toph jumped into the air and stomped on the ground hard, making everyone wobble a bit...except for Hagrid. When the piece of earth was shoved to the surface, Toph stepped to it and started jabbing it in several areas, and Harry thought she was like one of those sculptors. In a few minutes, she had created a statue of a huge animal that looked like a mix between a badger and a mole. Several people gaped on at this creature in astonishment.

"So how was that?" Sokka asked, a sly smile on his face.

No one spoke. Then Fred Weasley called, "What about you, Boomerang Guy?"

Sokka smiled at hearing the nickname before saying, "I'm no Bender, but watch this!"

He looked over at a peach tree with a peach right at the top like the horns on Appa's head in his drawn pictures. The Water Tribe warrior held out a boomerang, studied its pathway, and tossed it at the peach. It twirled around like an actual boomerang from Australia before it reached the peach and sliced the stem off its branch. Momo, who was flying nearby and seeing the peach, flew over and plucked the fruit from the air before flying into the tree and eating it.

"Wow," someone from the Ravenclaw House remarked. "That's amazing!"

"Is it not?" Sokka replied, a sly smirk on his face. "Anyone got any questions?"

At this, Dumbledore turned to everyone and announced, "You are all free to ask Team Avatar any question you wish. But I would like to advise you to not ask any offending questions. So ask away."

"And mind your manners!" tiny Professor Flitwick squeaked.

No one spoke at first, for they were thinking of several questions to ask Team Avatar. Then Terry Boot of Ravenclaw asked, "Hey, Aang. How did you get those tattoos?"

"I got these because I mastered AirBending before the other students," the Avatar said. "I got these ever since before I was frozen in an iceberg."

"You were frozen?" Justin Finch-Fletchy of Hufflepuff asked. "But why?"

Aang looked down with guilt on his face; Harry wondered why he looked so guilty. Finally, he took a deep breath and began explaining, "My teacher, Monk Gyatso, wanted to ease my duty as the Avatar; that a person who Bends all four elements at once. The other monks were worried about that, so they were going to separate us forever. I was upset about this, so Appa and I ran away from home. In a storm, I went into the Avatar State and froze us together. Then Katara and Sokka here freed me from the iceberg."

The students (excluding the ones from Slytherin) gaped in awe.

Then Cedric Diggory from Hufflepuff asked Sokka, "How come you're not a Bender?"

"I don't know," Sokka replied, shrugging. "I think I might've HAD some Bending skill, but I didn't believe much in Bending or spiritual stuff back then. I'm still a man of science, let me remind you, but I still like to see Bending."

Cedric nodded as if he understood.

Lee Jordan of Gryffindor raised his hand and asked Katara, "Hey, what's up with that necklace around your neck?"

Katara gave him a strange look. "This isn't a Bending question, you know."

"Sorry 'bout that," Lee muttered, looking embarrassed.

"But that's okay," Katara replied, smiling. "I'll tell you anyways..."

However, Malfoy rudely sneered, "So why DO you wear that necklace, peasant? To hide that ugly birthmark of yours?"

Harry stared in shock; this was not a good question to ask. And by the shocked glares Aang and the others were giving Malfoy, they were thinking the same thing.

At this, Katara had gasped at Malfoy in shock, her face looking hurt. Then she retorted, "No, I'm not using it to hide anything. And I don't have a birthmark!"

"Then what is it?" Malfoy asked with a leer.

"My mother gave me this necklace. Back when I was young," Katara added, her voice starting to break. Tears were forming in her eyes as she rasped on, "S-She gave it to me before she died. It's been years...but I-I still miss her..."

She couldn't continue, for she sat on the ground and began silently sobbing, her face buried beneath her arms on her knees. Aang wrapped an arm around her to comfort her while glaring angrily at Malfoy. Sokka had a very angry glare on his face while Toph shook her head at this pathetic insult.

"Well, that serves the little peasant right," Pansy Parkinson of Slytherin sneered, malice on her ugly pug face. "I mean, I think your mom died from looking at you! Ha ha-"

SMASH!

Sokka had rushed forward and pinned the ugly girl to the stone, his blue eyes alive with anger. Harry had never seen the goofy Water Tribe teenager look so angry before. But here he was, just inches away from slugging the pug-face across the...well...face.

"How DARE you, you big-headed idiot!" Sokka was snarling as he pinned Pansy up to the stone. "Our mother and many other good people were KILLED in a War that lasted for a hundred years! You and Malfoy over there are a disgrace to all people if you insult our mom like that! And how DARE you talk to my sister like that!"

Toph stepped forward and snapped at her, "Yeah, punk! Shut your mouth or I'll Bend it shut for you!"

"Hey!" Malfoy growled at Sokka, ignoring Toph. "Keep your filthy hands off her, peasant!"

Sokka whirled on him, retorting, "Normally I won't hit any girl. But for this bigmouth, I'll make an exception! And that'll go for you too with Mr. Boomerang!"

Snape, who had heard his students rudely talking to Katara, did not say anything.

"Mr. Sokka, let Miss Parkinson go," McGonagall commanded him. As Sokka did so, she told him, "I appreciate you defending your sister, but manhandling a fellow student who did it is not acceptable. I'll have to take ten points from Ravenclaw."

As Malfoy and Pansy sneered at him, McGonagall face the two Slytherins, glaring at them. "As for you two, Mr. Malfoy and Miss Parkinson, Professor Dumbledore had told you exactly to ask Team Avatar polite questions, and you ignored him. What's worse is that you two have insulted a student and made her cry...a student from _my_ House, at that, and no one bullies anyone from my House when I am around...and you have spoken ill of the dead mother of her and her brother. Twenty points from Slytherin for those two offenses."

The sneers on the faces of Malfoy and Pansy were turned into ugly looks of rage. When Sokka had points taken from his House, he hung his head in shame.

To ease the tension in the air, Theodore Nott of Slytherin asked Toph, "How do you sense where you're going? Or where others are at?"

"Easy," Toph replied, creating an earth chair and sitting down. "I can sense the earth with my feet; it's kinda like having eyes on my toes. I can use EarthBending to sense my way around the world and around Hogwarts. Plus, I'm a MetalBender."

"MetalBender?" Neville Longbottom asked.

Toph nodded. "Yep. I'm the greatest MetalBender in the world! And plus, I even have a class of MetalBending back in my world."

Neville looked amazed. Harry even admitted that it was amazing; he had seen Toph EarthBend before, but he hadn't seen her MetalBend. This was something he would have to see sometime later.

A bit of a distance away from him, Aang was whispering comforting words to Katara, who was still not over the Slytherins insulting her. The WaterBender was looking up at him with a weak smile on her face as she gave her boyfriend an uplifting hug. Finally, she got up from her spot and walked over to where Sokka and Toph were answering more questions.

Hermione was the one to ask, "How come the animals in your world, like Appa and Momo, look so different?"

Sokka shrugged. "No idea. And that's not a Bender question."

"I'm sorry," the bushy-haired girl murmured, looking faintly ashamed.

"And what about Gin?" Ron asked, pointing to said dog padding up to Katara and licking her on the face.

Hermione added, "He looks rather like a Japanese Akita, doesn't he?"

Said WaterBender stood up and answered Ron, "He's my dog Aang gave to me for my sixteenth birthday."

"Sixteenth?" The sneering voice of Zacharias Smith echoed. "Aren't you four too OLD to be first years?"

"It doesn't matter what their age is, Mr. Smith, as long as they wish to learn from Hogwarts," Professor Sprout, Head of Hufflepuff, replied. "And five points will be taken from Hufflepuff for your rudeness."

The Hufflepuff glared at her, but he didn't say anything.

"You mentioned something called an Avatar State," Ernie MacMillan of Hufflepuff asked Aang. "What IS that?"

"It's something an Avatar uses when they get into danger," the Avatar answered. "Not only that, but it can make an Avatar perform awesome deeds and Bending moves. Only a fully realized Avatar like me can go into the Avatar State and get out of there anytime. But when an Avatar is in the Avatar State, they're also at their weakest form."

"Weakest?" Padma Patil of Ravenclaw asked him.

Aang nodded. "Yep. You could lose control of yourself and cause lots of colossal damage. And if an Avatar is killed during the Avatar State, then there's no more Avatar."

Katara, who was standing beside him with her eyes hazy, added in a raspy voice, "It's true; Aang was almost killed in the Avatar State two years ago. He was actually 'killed' by Azula, our friend Zuko's sister, but he was revived by some spirit water I brought along." Her voice cracked a bit as she croaked, "If it wasn't for us, he'd..."

She didn't say anything else, but she looked down to the ground, her voice cracking. Harry had heard of Princess Azula, sister of Aang's friend Fire Lord Zuko, and about all of what she had done. He had even heard of how she had nearly killed her brother during a final battle with an attack that involved lightning.

Harry couldn't explain it, but he felt like he was starting to understand more of the world Team Avatar lived in. It felt him with a certain thrill to learn more Bending and the strange animals that inhabit their world. But despite that, he was still even happier to be a wizard; Hagrid had proved that the night he visited him and the Dursleys.

"I believe it's time to go back inside, everyone," Albus Dumbledore announced, distracting all the students from the tension. "Lots of studying to do. Now off to the castle. Chop-chop!"

"Not...so quick, Mr. Malfoy," Snape suddenly said, grabbing a passing Malfoy by the shoulder. "You and Miss Parkinson will be seeing me in my office right after lunch."

Said students glared at Team Avatar as if it were their own faults they were in trouble. But they just bowed their heads and followed their Head of House towards the castle, their fellow kids from Slytherin following them. And the students from the other Houses went along with their own Heads of House, Team Avatar splitting up.

As Harry followed Ron and Hermione to the castle, he could see Aang and Katara go to the front and ask McGonagall something. He couldn't hear what they were saying, but he did see Aang sweep Katara into his arms as they shared a kiss.

"Is Malfoy's insults getting to you, sweetie?" he asked his girlfriend.

Katara smiled weakly up at him as she remarked, "It's been a while since you called me sweetie, sweetie. And yes, Malfoy's insults did hurt me. And Sokka too, for sure." Her face turned bitter and her voice grew harsh as she rasped, "And that mean girl had the nerve to insult Mom! I can't believe her and Malfoy would say such a thing!"

Aang pulled her closer to him and murmured, "Shhh. It's all right. Don't pay attention to them. They don't know what they're talking about."

"He's right, Katara," Harry suddenly found himself saying as he stepped forward. Aang and Katara exchanged mortified looks at seeing an eleven-year-old watching them kiss.

"Harry!" Katara exclaimed as she and Aang pulled away from each other. "What're you doing out here?"

"Waiting for you," The Boy Who Lived replied. "So should we go in?"

"You go on ahead," Aang added, giving him his trademark goofy smile. "But thanks for your help anyways!"

Harry nodded and ran up to Gryffindor Tower, wondering to tell Hermione about how Aang and Katara were dating. But he wasn't sure about it, since she was acting like quite an annoying bookworm to him and Ron. So he decided to hold it off for now.

But he felt that the lie was smellier than something that got ran over by a car. And he decided to not tell Sokka of Ravenclaw hear this, or he would bring out his "oogies talk."

**...**

Severus Snape strolled down the hallway over to Dumbledore's office. He had just finished giving Malfoy and Parkinson their detentions, which was to help him file out the fresh or rotting Potions ingredients. He had no idea why those two had insulted that WaterBender like that; she reminded him quite like someone he knew a long time ago.

Finally, he stopped at the gargoyle statue that led to Dumbledore's office and faced it; he recalled two gargoyles the Weasley twins had made to dance around him before he took ten points from each. He steeled himself for what he had to say next.

"Lemon drop," he told the statue. It sprung to the side and let him go up the stairs to where the Headmaster lived.

As usual, there were the gadgets and gizmos his Headmaster had created over his years. Fawkes the phoenix was sitting on his perch, looking quite radiant despite living quite old; he wasn't quite sure how old Fawkes was despite knowing well about some creatures.

"Good evening, Severus." Dumbledore was sitting at his desk, writing several papers. Snape supposed he was writing to the Ministry Of Magic about foreigners coming to Hogwarts.

"Good evening, Headmaster," Snape muttered back, stroking Fawkes a little on the head. "May I sit down?"

Dumbledore looked surprised, but then he replied, "Of course, Severus. Where did I leave my manners?"

Snape smirked. "A barn, perhaps?"

Both of them chuckled, though Snape's laugh lasted as "Ha ha" before he sat down in the chair in front of Dumbledore. The Potions master looked behind Dumbledore to see a small statue of an Asian dragon behind him, breathing fire magically. He could remember himself and his Headmaster going to the Avatar world to visit General Iroh and learning from him.

The last time they had spoken, Iroh had been on the run from the Fire Nation along with his nephew called Suko or whatever his name was. He forgot what his name was. Iroh had taught them both about the elements and how they had worked; Snape had even taken notes on how WaterBending worked for Potions.

"Anything you wish to tell me?" Dumbledore asked him, getting Snape back to the real world.

"Yes, sir," Snape replied, getting up and now starting to pace around. "I wish to tell you about Potter and that Team Avatar that have come. First off, Potter is becoming mediocre, arrogant as his father, a determined rule-breaker, delighted to find himself famous, attention-seeking and impertinent..."

"You see what you expect to see, Severus," Dumbledore interrupted politely, taking out a copy of _Transfiguration Today_ and reading it. Other teachers report that the boy is modest, likeable, and reasonably talented. Personally, I find him an engaging child."

Without looking up, he turned a page and added, "Keep an eye on Quirrel, won't you?"

Snape nodded, not trusting the sniveling Quirrel himself. "Yes, Headmaster. And second, about Team Avatar," he added, trying to put Potter's business behind him, "I have observed that Mr. Aang and Miss Katara are acting rather...more than being friendly. And Ms. Bei Fong seems a bit snarky when it comes to my classes."

"I agree. But they are rather interesting, aren't they?" Dumbledore replied, still not looking up from the magazine. "And any words for Mr. Sokka you wish to add?"

"He seems rather odd when it comes to magic," Snape answered. "But I have a serious question to ask you: did you really choose the right ones?"

Finally, Dumbledore placed a book marker on his page and shut it, looking up at Snape. His bright blue eyes twinkled as he asked him, "Of course. What makes you say I chose the wrong ones?"

Snape retorted, "I am not implying that. I am merely saying that they had already fought in a war themselves. Not to mention that Aang does not have much to live."

"How did you know?" Dumbledore asked, though it sounded like he already knew.

"I-I...I visited the spirit world to see if Lily was there," the Potions master answered, feeling his heart break at mentioned his old friend. "And while I was there, I heard someone talking, and I saw who it was. It was a man who looked like a seventy-year-old you without the glasses, blue eyes, and crooked nose; he also had red robes. And I heard him speak to some of the other people there about the Avatar that stays with us now. He said that because he had stayed in the iceberg for a hundred years, the energy he had used had used up his normal life span. So he can only live up to around sixty or seventy."

Dumbledore gave him a mildly astonished look before smiling. "Ah...I felt like someone was watching when I myself went to help Iroh search for his son in the Spirit World. But back to the previous subject: I have indeed found the four who can help us. They have been through a lot during their lives in the war, and I believe they may help young Harry do the same thing."

Snape looked down, trying to think it over. Finally, he lifted his head and answered, "Yes, sir. Now I really have to go and prepare for my next Potions class for Monday. Good day, Professor Dumbledore."

"Very well, Good day to you too, dear boy," Dumbledore said, smiling at him gently. "Would you like a lemon drop?"

"No thank you," Snape replied before leaving the office.

_To be continued..._

**...**

**AvatarCat12: I hope everyone likes this chapter, 'cause I do. And I decided to make Snape a bit nicer on here even though he'll still be a jerk towards the other Houses. And yes, you saw that I reintroduced the "sweetie" exchange between Aang and Katara; I'll do that almost all the time, though I will still have sweetheart in there. And the last part is a possible spoiler for The Deathly Hallows.**

**But anyways, you know that after this, I'll be making this story's version of The Midnight Duel. And do you think Aang would make a good Quidditch player, or would he be a good extra person to help out. But tomorrow's Valentine's Day, and I hope everyone has a good time then, 'cause...well...I can spend it either by myself or my family.**

**Anyways, here's the preview for The Midnight Duel.**

**Preview: Aang and Katara are ready to take their first Quidditch lessons, where they see that Harry has a great ability. But will this come at a cost? And what information of the Gringotts robbery will they find?**

**Anyone who reviews this chapter will receive virtual sugar frosted cookies with pink or red frosting right away when you review. Constructive criticism is allowed, but please don't make it harsh. Flames are not allowed on this story or any other story; they WILL be put out with WaterBending or EarthBending.**

**See ya next time! And Happy early Valentine's Day!**


	10. The Midnight Duel

**AvatarCat12: Hey, everyone. What's up? It's time to update another chapter of Avatar Aang And The Sorcerer's Stone! And I'm gonna say this quick.**

**I know I've been updating several stories like this, and I'm sorry if I'm neglecting the other stories. But these ones are popular, and I really love uploading these stories. Once I get some time off from them, I might be able to upload some other stories.**

**Okay, I think that's quite enough of that. Let's get on with this.**

**Disclaimer: Avatar: The Last AirBender and Harry Potter do not belong to me. They belong to Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko, and Erin Hunter.**

**Summary: ****Aang and Katara are ready to take their first Quidditch lessons, where they see that Harry has a great ability. But will this come at a cost? And what information of the Gringotts robbery will they find?**

**Uploading Date: March 13, 2012**

**Enjoy!**

**...**

_The Midnight Duel_

Aang had never believed he would meet people he hated more than Ozai or Admiral Zhao, but that was before he met Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson. He was still furious at the two of them for making Katara, his one and only Forever Girl, cry like that and insulting her mother. Thankfully, Snape was able to set them straight, though he felt like he didn't. Still, first-year Gryffindors only had Potions with the Slytherins, so they didn't have to put up with those two much.

Or at least, they didn't until they saw a notice pinned up in the Gryffindor common room that made them all groan. Flying lessons would be starting on Thursday...and both Gryffindor and Slytherin would be learning together.

"Typical," Harry was saying darkly. "Just what I always wanted. To make a fool of myself on a broomstick in front of Malfoy."

Aang could tell Harry had been looking forward to learning to fly more than anything else. He himself also couldn't wait, for he could show everyone his AirBending flying skills again.

"You don't know that you'll make a fool of yourself," Ron told Harry reasonably.

"He's right," Katara added, standing beside Ron. "Besides, I heard rumors that your dad was a great flyer himself."

Ron looked at her in awe as if thanking her for the extra information. Then he turned to Harry and said, "Anyway, I know Malfoy's always going on about how good he is at Quidditch, but I bet that's all talk."

Katara rolled her blue eyes. "I don't see him flying." She hadn't forgiven Malfoy for insulting her and making her cry.

Malfoy certainly did talk about flying a lot. He complained loudly about first years never getting on the House Quidditch teams and told long boastful stories that always seemed to end with him narrowly escaping Muggles in twirling flying machines. Aang was reminded of how he would often use this kind of thing to escape from enemies or blast attacks away.

They weren't the only ones, though. From the way Seamus Finnigan told it, he had spent most of his childhood zooming around the landscape on his broom. Even Ron would tell anyone who would listen about the time he'd almost hit a glider on Charlie Weasley's old broom. Everyone from Wizarding families constantly talked about Quidditch.

Ron had already had a big argument with Dean Thomas, who shared their dorm, about a Muggle sport called soccer. Ron couldn't see what was exciting about a game with only one ball where no one was allowed to fly. Harry and Aang had caught Ron prodding Dean's poster of West Ham soccer team, trying to make the players move.

"Did you or your friends have any exciting sports back in your world?" Harry asked Aang as the Boy Who Lived watched the Avatar practice his FireBending.

"Yep!" Aang replied cheerfully, shooting a flame up towards the sky. "Every nation has a sport to play in their homeland. For example, the Air Nomads would often play Air Ball! Whoa, look out! It's a hot one!" he added as the flame got out of control.

Harry jumped back in time as the flames got near him; thankfully, they didn't get to him. He got back to the Avatar and asked, "What's Air Ball like?"

Aang thought over the Air Ball rules. "Well, it's a bit like this soccer game you have in this world. But it's played on top of bamboo sticks way up into the sky. And you gotta balance a ball of air on the tip of your finger and throw it at the bamboo sticks."

"Why?"

"_Why_?" Aang repeated. "That's just the way of playing an AirBender sport!"

**...**

Neville had never been on a broomstick in his life, because his grandmother had never let him near one. Privately, Aang felt that it wasn't a good reason despite him having an odd number of accidents even with both feet on the ground. But Katara seemed to have agreed with Neville's grandmother; however, Aang was strongly reminded of Hama, the old woman who had taught Katara to BloodBend.

Hermione was as nervous about flying as Neville was. This was something no one could learn by heart out of a book. At breakfast on Thursday morning, she bored them all stupid with flying tips she had gotten out of a library book called _Quidditch Through the Ages_. Neville was hanging to her every word, frantic for anything to help him hang on his broom later, but everybody else was pleased when her lecture was disturbed by the arrival of mail.

Aang hadn't had a single letter since a letter from his old friend Bumi, who had asked him how it was at Hogwarts, and Harry hadn't had a letter ever since Hagrid's note. This was something that Malfoy seemed quick to notice, naturally. His eagle owl always brought him packages of sweets from home, which he opened gloatingly at the Slytherin table. Toph just rolled her eyes as a great gray owl brought her a letter from her parents, who had asked her how she was doing at her new school.

Some time ago, Team Avatar had asked Dumbledore if they could take classes together and eat in the Great Hall together. McGonagall seemed doubtful about this, for classmates from the same House always stayed together; it was rare for people from different Houses to sit together, as she said. But Dumbledore reassured her that, since they had been through a war together, it could be arranged.

A barn owl brought Neville a small package from his grandmother. He opened it excitedly and showed them a glass ball the size of a large marble, which seemed to be full of white smoke.

"It's a Remembrall!" he explained to his friends around him. "Gran knows I forget things. This tells you if there's something you've forgotten to do. Look, you hold it tight like this and if it turns red...oh..." His face fell, because the Remembrall had suddenly glowed scarlet, "...you've forgotten something."

Neville was trying to remember what he forgot when Malfoy, who was passing the Gryffindor table, snatched the Remembrall out of his hand. Harry, Ron, and Sokka jumped to their feet; they were half hoping for a reason to fight Malfoy. But Professor McGonagall, who could spot trouble quicker than any teacher in the school, was there in a flash.

"Good. You boys don't need to fight," Katara told Sokka as she pulled her brother down into his seat.

Aang nodded. "She's right. Fighting's always wrong if it's for no reason."

Sokka muttered to his sister, "He was asking for it."

"What's going on?" McGonagall asked the boys as she got nearer.

"Malfoy's got my Remembrall, Professor," Neville spoke up.

Scowling, Malfoy quickly dropped the Remembrall back on the table. "Just looking," he said, sloping away with Crabbe and Goyle behind him.

**...**

At three-thirty that afternoon, Team Avatar and the other Gryffindors hurried down the front steps onto the grounds for their first flying lesson. It was a clear breezy day, and the grass rippled under their feet as they marched down the slanting lawns toward a smooth and flat lawn on the opposite side of the grounds to the Forbidden Forest, whose trees were swaying darkly in the distance.

The Slytherins were already there, and so were twenty four broomsticks lying in neat lines on the ground. Aang had heard the Weasley twins complain about the school brooms, saying that some of them vibrated if you flew too high or always flew slightly to the left. But that didn't matter to the young monk; he could always fly on the blue glider the Mechanist made him or on Appa.

Their teacher, Madam Hooch, had arrived. She had short gray hair and yellow eyes a bit like an eagle hawk.

"Well, what are you all waiting for?" she barked after the afternoon greetings. "Everyone stand by a broomstick. Come on, hurry up."

Aang glanced down at his broom. It was old and some of the twigs stuck out at odd angles. He wanted to complain that he only used his glider, but it was better to just not argue.

"Stick out your right hand over your broom," Hooch called at the front, "and say 'Up!'"

"UP!" everyone shouted.

Harry's broom jumped into his hand at once, but it was one of the few that did.

Hermione's simply rolled over on the ground, and Neville's didn't move. Brooms, like ostrich horses, could maybe tell when someone was afraid; there was a quaver in Neville's voice that said only too clearly that he wanted to keep his feet on the ground. Toph's broom didn't move, but it was more a bit out of reluctance, while Sokka's broom hit him fully in the face.

Aang and Katara couldn't help but laugh, making Sokka glare at them and say "Shut up! I meant for that to happen!"

"I always thought that too with hopping llamas," Katara told him with a sly grin.

"Yeah," Aang replied, remembering that day. It was a few days after he was freed from the iceberg that froze him for one hundred years. The hopping llamas were quite skittish, but they would calm down if someone gave them some apples to eat.

Madam Hooch then showed them how to mount their brooms without sliding off the end and walked up and down the rows correcting their grips. Aang and Katara (as well as Harry and Ron) were pleased when she told Malfoy he was doing it wrong for years.

"Now, when I blow my whistle, you kick off from the ground hard," Madam Hooch called out. "Keep your brooms steady, rise a few feet, and then come straight back down by leaning forward slightly. On my whistle. Three...two..."

But something happened so unexpectedly. Neville, nervous and jumpy and frightened of being left on the ground, pushed off hard before the whistle had touched Madam Hooch's lips.

"Oh no. I don't like where this is going," Sokka muttered, sighing as he looked up at the scared Gryffindor.

"Come back, boy!" Madam Hooch shouted, but Neville was rising straight up like a cork shot out of a wine bottle. Twelve feet...twenty feet. Aang saw his scared face look down at the ground falling away, saw him gasp, slip sideways off the broom and...

WHAM!

A thud and a nasty crack, and Neville laid face down on the grass in a heap. His broomstick was still rising higher and higher, and started to drift lazily toward the forbidden forest and out of sight. Sokka gave the parting broom a sarcastic farewell wave before looking back at Neville. Katara's face was full of horror and concern for the timid Gryffindor as she went with Madam Hooch to check on him.

Madam Hooch was bending over Neville, her face as white as his. "Broken wrist," Aang heard her mutter. "Come on, boy; it's all right. Up you get."

Immediately, Katara asked, "Can I help in any way?"

"If you can help me get him to the hospital wing, then yes you may," the Quidditch teacher told her. She turned to the rest of the class.

"None of you is to move while Miss Katara and I take this boy to the hospital wing! You leave those brooms where they are or you'll be out of Hogwarts before you can say 'Quidditch.' Come on, dear."

Neville, his face tear-streaked and clutching his wrist, hobbled off with Madam Hooch, who had her arm around him. Katara was beside them murmuring comforting words to him.

No sooner were they out of earshot than Malfoy burst into laughter. "Did you see his face, the great lump?"

The other Slytherins joined in with the jeering. The Gryffindors (plus Sokka and Toph) glared at them in anger.

"Shut up, Malfoy!" Parvati Patil snapped.

"Ooh, sticking up for Longbottom?" Pansy Parkinson sneered. "Never thought _you'd _like fat little crybabies, Parvati."

"Shut up, Parkinson!" Sokka growled. He hadn't forgiven the two Slytherins for insulting his mother and making his sister cry.

"Look!" Malfoy suddenly said, darting forward and snatching something out of the grass. "It's that stupid thing Longbottom's gran sent him."

The Remembrall glittered in the sun as he held it up. It looked like he was gloating on stealing an injured student's item while they were away.

"Give that here, Malfoy," Harry said quietly. Everyone stopped talking to watch.

Aang stood beside him, adding, "Harry's right, Malfoy. You either give it to him or else."

Malfoy smiled nastily at them. "I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find. How about...up a tree?"

"Give it _here_!" Harry yelled, Aang still standing beside him.

But Malfoy leapt onto his broomstick and taken off. He hadn't been lying; he _could _fly well. Hovering level with the topmost branches of an oak he called, "Come and get it, Potter! You too, bald head!"

Harry grabbed his broom while Aang took out his glider, preparing for one heck of a flight.

"_No!" _Hermione shouted. "Madam Hooch told us not to move! You'll get us all into trouble!"

"Hey, stay out of it. It's a men's fight only," Sokka told her to her disgust. "Go on, Harry and Aang! Get Malfoy! AirBending Slice! Come on!"

"Nah, that's just stupid," Toph spoke up. "Besides, Harry, you don't even know how to fly!"

Aang and Harry ignored the three talking to them. Blood was pounding in Aang's ears like a heart beating; he flipped out the wings on his glider, got on, and soared into the air. Harry had gotten onto the broom and kicked hard against the ground and up, up he soared.

Below, Toph merely muttered, "What idiots."

Air rushed through Harry's hair, and his robes whipped out behind him. And in a rush of fierce joy, Aang realized Harry found something he could do without being taught. He seemed to have found something he liked after all. Harry pulled his broomstick up a little to take it even higher and heard gasps of girls back on the ground and an admiring whoop from Ron. Aang soared higher with the Boy Who Lived while Sokka cheered from below.

Aang and Harry turned sharply to face Malfoy in midair. The pointy-faced Slytherin boy looked very stunned.

"Give it here," Harry called, "or I'll knock you off that broom!"

"Oh, yeah?" Malfoy retorted, trying to sneer. But he DID look worried.

Aang flew slowly around Harry, asking, "You wouldn't do that, would you?"

Harry looked over his shoulder at the Avatar. He said from the corner of his mouth, "It's a bluff. Go along with it."

Aang nodded and knew, somehow, what to do. Harry leaned forward and grasped the broom tightly in both hands, and it shot toward Malfoy like a spear. Malfoy only just got out of the way in time; Harry made a sharp about-face and held the broom steady. A few people below were clapping. Beside Harry, Aang turned his glider up into the air and dove down towards Malfoy, who quickly got out of the way in time.

"No Crabbe and Goyle up here to save your neck, Malfoy!" Harry called.

The same thought seemed to have struck Malfoy. "Catch it if you can, then!" he cried and threw the glass ball high into the air as he streaked back toward the ground.

Aang saw, as if in slow motion, the ball rise up in the air and then start to fall. He leaned forward and whipped up a gust of wind behind him. Next second he knew, he was gathering speed in a steep dive, racing the ball. Wind whistled in his ears, mingled with screams of people watching. He hadn't really flown this fast before; the only time he ever flew fast was either during the Day Of Black Sun or when Sozin's Comet came to his world.

Beside him, he saw Harry stretch out his hand; a foot from the ground, he caught it, just in time to pull his broom straight, and toppled gently onto the grass with the Remembrall clutched safely in his fist. Aang pointed the tip of his glider down and flew down after the Boy Who Lived.

"That was awesome!" Sokka cheered right when Aang landed beside Harry, and everyone else looked impressed. "I had no idea you were _that_ good! You were on a school broom, for crying out loud! Come here, buddies! Free noogies from me!"

"Wow. From the sounds of it, that catch _was_ awesome," Toph commented, giving Harry and Aang a friendly punch on their shoulders.

"HARRY POTTER AND AVATAR AANG!"

Aang's heart sank faster than he had just dived. Professor McGonagall was running toward them. Stammering, "Never...in all my time at Hogwarts..."

Timidly, Aang got to his feet, shaky. He and Harry had been caught by the deputy headmistress, and they were going to be in big trouble.

Professor McGonagall was almost speechless with shock, and her glasses flashed furiously. Now she was rasping, "...how _dare _you...might have broken your necks!"

"It wasn't his fault, Professor!"

"Be quiet, Miss Patil."

"But Malfoy...!"

"That's _enough_, Mr. Weasley. Potter, follow me now. You too, Avatar Aang."

He caught sight of the Slytherins' triumphant sneers as he and Harry left, walking numbly in Professor McGonagall's wake as she strode toward the castle. He returned those sneers with a resentful glare, which made them laugh even more. But he couldn't go anymore; he and Harry were going to be expelled. He just knew it.

He wanted to say something to defend himself, but there seemed to be something wrong with his voice. Professor McGonagall was sweeping along without even looking at him or Harry; Aang had to jog to keep up. Now he and Harry had done it. They hadn't even lasted two weeks. They would be packing their bags in ten minutes. What would Katara say if she found out Aang was being expelled alongside Harry?

Up the front steps, up the marble staircase inside, and still, McGonagall didn't say a word. She wrenched open doors and marched along some corridors with Harry and Aang trotting miserably behind her. Maybe she was taking m to Dumbledore.

McGonagall stopped just outside a classroom. She opened the door and poked her head inside, asking, "Excuse me, Professor Flitwick. Could I borrow Wood for a moment?"

_Wood?_ Aang thought, bewildered. Was Wood a cane she was going to use on him? But Wood turned out to be just a person, a burly fifth-year boy who came out of Flitwick's class looking confused.

"Follow me, you three," McGonagall said. And they marched on up the corridor, Wood looking curiously at Harry and Aang. "In here."

McGonagall pointed them into a classroom that was empty except for Peeves. The poltergeist of the school was busy writing rude words on the blackboard.

"Out, Peeves!" she barked. Peeves threw the chalk into a bin, which clanged loudly, and swept out while cursing.

McGonagall slammed the door behind him and turned to face the three boys. "Potter and Aang, this is Oliver Wood. Wood...I've found you a Seeker."

Wood's expression changed from confusion to pleasure. "Are you serious, Professor?"

"Absolutely," McGonagall replied crisply. "The boy's a natural. I've never seen anything like it. And as for Aang...he can be your reinforcements if one of the team is to fall. Was that your first time on a broomstick, Potter?"

Aang nodded silently. He didn't have a clue what was going on, but he and Harry didn't seem to be being expelled, and some of the feeling started coming back to his legs. Now Katara would not get angry at him or Harry for almost getting expelled.

McGonagall was saying, "He caught that thing in his hand after a fifty-foot dive. Didn't even scratch himself. Charlie Weasley couldn't have done it. And as for Aang, he kept spinning around Potter as if he was a protective Bludger."

Wood was now looking as though all his dreams had come true at once. "Ever seen a game of Quidditch, Potter?" he asked excitedly.

Harry shook his head.

"What about you, Aang?" Wood asked him. "Have YOU ever seen a game of Quidditch?"

"No," Aang told him, a tad bit of annoyance in his voice. "And to let you remember, I come from a different world."

"We understand. And Wood's captain of the Gryffindor team," McGonagall explained.

"He's just the build for a Seeker, too," Wood began walking around Harry and staring at him. "He's just the build for a Seeker too. Light...speedy...we'll have to get him a decent broom, Professor. A Nimbus Two Thousand or a Cleansweep Seven, I'd say."

"I shall speak to Professor Dumbledore and see if we can't bend the first-year rule," McGonagall spoke up. "Heaven knows we need a better team than last year. _Flattened _in that last match by Slytherin. I couldn't look Severus Snape in the face for weeks…"

Professor McGonagall peered sternly over her glasses at Harry. "I want to hear you're training hard, Potter, or I may change my mind about punishing you." But when she was done, she suddenly smiled.

"Your father would have been proud," she said, her voice full of emotion. "He was an excellent Quidditch player himself." To Aang, she asked, "Are you going to be all right without a broom?"

Aang nodded and bowed low to her in respect. "I think I can handle it. But thanks!"

**...**

"You're _joking_."

It was dinnertime. Harry and Aang had just finished telling Ron what had happened when they had left the grounds with McGonagall. Ron had a piece of steak and kidney pie halfway to his mouth, but he had forgotten all about it. Katara, in the meantime, was happy that Aang and Harry were chosen for Quidditch, but she was also worried for him.

"What were you and Harry thinking? You two could've killed yourselves!" she had shouted at him when he told her what happened.

Aang had retorted, "Well, if that pile of monkey-feathers named Malfoy didn't take Neville's Remembrall, then he wouldn't try and get us killed!"

Katara had no choice but to agree with that.

"_Seeker_?" Ron was asking Harry. "But first years _never..._you must be the youngest house player in about..."

"A century," Harry replied, shoveling steak-and-kidney pie into his mouth. He had been quite hungry after the excitement of the afternoon. "Wood told me."

Ron was so amazed, so impressed, he just sat and gaped at Harry.

Harry lowered his voice and whispered, "Only don't tell anyone. Wood wants to keep it a secret."

"Our lips are sealed, buddy," Sokka told him, smiling as he zipped his fingers in front of his lips in a zipping motion. To Toph, he said, "Hey, Harry's on the Quidditch team!"

Toph rolled her eyes while Harry muttered, "Thanks, Sokka."

Meanwhile, Fred and George Weasley now came into the hall, spotted Harry and Aang, and hurried over to them. Their faces were full of pride and...friskiness.

"Well done," George said in a low voice. "Wood told us. We're on the team too: Beaters."

"I tell you, we're going to win that Quidditch cup for sure this year," Fred said. "We haven't won since Charlie left, but this year's team is going to be brilliant. You must be good, Harry. Wood was almost skipping when he told us. You too, Aang."

Aang rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. "Thank my AirBending training!"

"Anyway, we've got to go. Lee Jordan reckons he's found a new secret passageway out of the school."

"Bet it's that one behind the statue of Gregory the Smarmy that we found in our first week. See you."

Fred and George had hardly gone away when Aang decided to go back to eating the green peas he was planning on eating. Malfoy and his thugs were saying something, while Harry, Ron, and Sokka were saying something else back at them. To Aang's bewilderment, Malfoy gestured at Aang while talking to the three other boys while going away.

"What is a wizard's duel?" Harry was asking. "And what do you mean, you're my second?"

"Well, a second's there to take over if you die," said Ron casually, getting started at last on his cold steak-and-kidney pie.

Aang gasped. "WHAT? If you DIE?"

Ron added quickly, "No, people only die in proper duels, you know, with real wizards. The most you and Malfoy'll be able to do is send sparks at each other. Neither of you knows enough magic to do any real damage. I bet he expected you to refuse, anyway."

"What about Bending?" Sokka asked. "Aang's got Bending if Harry needs help."

Ron nodded. "Yeah, that's true."

"And what if I wave my wand and nothing happens?" Harry asked.

"Throw it away and punch him on the nose," Ron suggested.

Sokka snickered. "That always works for me! ...but only if my trusty boomerang doesn't work."

"Excuse me."

All four boys both looked up to the speaker. It was Hermione, who was giving the boys a look mixed of concern and crossness. Katara was right beside her, but her gaze was holding nothing but concern for her boyfriend and her brother.

"Can't a person eat in peace in this place?" Ron sighed. Sokka nodded with him and began digging into some food he could reach.

Hermione ignored him and spoke to Harry. Meanwhile, Katara rolled her eyes at her brother before turning back to Harry and Ron.

Hermione was saying to Harry, "I couldn't help overhearing what you, Aang, and Malfoy were saying..."

"Bet you could," Sokka muttered.

"Bet you could," Ron muttered.

Toph, who was sitting next to Sokka, said, "Wow. You two must be spiritual twins."

Sokka and Ron gave her an indignant glare, but they found out that Toph was talking to them...in the wrong direction.

"...and you _mustn't _go wandering around the school at night," Hermione was saying, ignoring the little conversation. "Think of the points you'll lose Gryffindor if you're caught, and you're bound to be. It's really very selfish of you."

"And it's really none of your business," Harry retorted a bit politely.

This made Aang shrug and say, "Yeah, Harry's kinda right. Malfoy challenged us, so we'll go ahead and get it over with."

"Good-bye," Ron said.

**...**

All the same, it wasn't what anyone would call the perfect end to the day, Aang thought, as he lay awake much later listening to Dean and Seamus falling asleep (Neville wasn't back from the hospital wing). Ron had spent all evening giving Harry advice such as "If he tries to curse you, you'd better dodge it, because I can't remember how to block them."

"That's some good advice there," Aang muttered sarcastically.

"Well, it's not bad. At least he's telling him to dodge and not make something up," Katara said. Then... "Don't tell me you're going with them?"

Aang shrugged. "Maybe. I just want to see if they'll be okay."

Katara sighed. "I guess I can't stop you. Just be careful, okay? Remember your training. I don't want Malfoy to hurt you if he cheats," she added, embracing him. "Just remember."

"I will, my Forever Girl," the Avatar replied, returning the hug.

There was a very good chance they would get caught by Filch or Mrs. Norris, and Aang felt he was really pushing his luck, breaking another school rule today with Harry. On the other hand, Malfoy's sneering face kept looming up out of the darkness; this was the chance to beat Malfoy face-to-face. He couldn't miss it, watching Harry defeat his new rival.

But he also felt as if he was letting Katara down. The love of his life was quite the one to follow the rules, not sneak around breaking them. However, she had slightly approved of Aang, Harry, and Ron going to fight Malfoy for what he had done.

"Half-past eleven," Ron muttered at last. "We'd better go."

They pulled on their bathrobes, picked up their wands and staff, and crept across the tower room, down the spiral staircase and into the Gryffindor common room. A few embers still glowed red in the fireplace, turning all the armchairs into hunched black shadows. They had almost reached the portrait hole when a voice spoke from the chair nearest them.

"I can't believe you're going to do this, you three."

A lamp flickered on. It was Hermione Granger, wearing a pink bathrobe and a frown on her face.

"_You!_" Ron growled at her furiously. "Go back to bed!"

Hermione snapped, "I almost told your brother Percy. He's a prefect; he'd put a stop to this."

Aang couldn't believe anyone could be so interfering. "Come on," Harry was saying to Ron. He pushed open the portrait of the Fat Lady and climbed through the hole.

Hermione wasn't going to give up that easily. She followed Ron through the portrait hole, hissing after the three of them like an angry goose owl, "Don't you three _care _about Gryffindor? Do you _only _care about yourselves? _I _don't want Slytherin to win the House Cup, and you'll lose all the points I got from Professor McGonagall for knowing about Switching Spells."

"Go away," Aang sighed. "Please."

"All right," Hermione sniffed. "But I warned you. You just remember what I said when you're on the train home tomorrow. You're so..."

But what they really were, they didn't find out. Hermione had turned to the Fat Lady's portrait to get back inside; instead, she found herself facing an empty painting. The Fat Lady had gone on a nighttime visit, and Hermione was locked out of Gryffindor tower.

She turned towards Aang, Harry, and Ron as she asked shrilly, "Now what am I going to do?"

"That's your problem," Ron retorted. "We've got to go. We're going to be late. Keep up the pace, Aang."

They hadn't even reached the end of the corridor when Hermione caught up with them.

"I'm coming with you," she said.

"You are _not_," Ron snarled at her.

"D'you think I'm going to stand out here and wait for Filch to catch me?" Hermione snapped. "If he finds all four of us I'll tell him the truth, that I was trying to stop you four, and you can back me up."

"You've got some nerve-" Ron began loudly.

"Shut up, both of you!" Harry snapped sharply. "I heard something."

Aang felt the walls with his palms, thankful to Toph for teaching him seismic senses in his EarthBending training. Holding up a finger for the three to stay quiet, he began feeling the walls and floor with his hands. The sound was a sort of snuffling...followed by a bit of complaining.

"I think we hear something," Aang told the three of them.

"Mrs. Norris?" Ron breathed, squinting through the dark.

Aang shook his head. "Doubt it. That doesn't sound like a cat's meow to me. Much less than a cat owl."

It wasn't Mrs. Norris. It was Neville; he was curled up on the floor, fast asleep, but he jerked suddenly awake as they crept nearer. To Aang's amazement, Toph was sitting beside him, looking very bored.

"Thank goodness you found me!" Neville said as he came to them. "I've been out here for hours! I couldn't remember the new password to get in to bed."

Toph got up and walked over to them, rolling her eyes. "Yeah. Sad-eyes was able to get out of the hospital wing, and he ran into me while I was taking a walk. Wait, how'd you know we were there, huh?"

"I found you with the seismic training," Aang admitted, smiling brightly.

"Good thinking there, Twinkletoes!" Toph said quietly, punching his shoulder warmly.

"Keep your voice down, Neville," Ron was saying. "The password's 'Pig snout' but it won't help you now; the Fat Lady's gone off somewhere."

"How's your arm?" Harry asked.

Neville showed them. "Fine. Madam Pomfrey mended it in about a minute. And Katara managed to use some glowing water to heal up my cuts and bruises."

Aang smiled when Neville brought up his girlfriend. Katara was always quite a wonder when it came to healing.

Harry nodded. "I wish I could've seen her healing. But it's also a good thing your arm's okay. Well look, Neville, we've got to be somewhere. We'll see you later."

"Don't leave me!" Neville wailed, scrambling to his feet, "I don't want to stay here alone! The Bloody Baron's been past twice already."

"Yeah," Toph agreed. "Besides, the faster we get back to our dorms, the sooner we can get Sad Eyes to stop whining."

Ron looked at his watch and then glared furiously at Hermione and Neville. He even glared at Toph, who seemed to not even notice him. Finally, he growled, "If either of you three get us caught, I'll never rest until I've learned that Curse of the Bogies Quirrell told us about, and used it on you."

Hermione opened her mouth, perhaps to tell Ron exactly how to use the Curse of the Bogies, but Harry hissed at her to be quiet and beckoned them all forward. Aang went up to beside Harry to help him keep a lookout.

"Wait," he said, holding out an arm. "Toph and I will go ahead and try to find Malfoy. You guys go the other way."

The Hogwarts students nodded and crept off in another direction. Aang and Toph began to go off in the other direction, keeping their senses alert and their battle poses ready. Next to Aang, Toph was looking from the left to the right. This reminded him of the time when they would travel in the Fire Nation, trying to fit in.

Lighting up a small fire on his palm, Aang stood at the front and lit the way like a beacon. He could feel Toph breathing behind him, and he could tell she was growling under her breath. But he had no idea what she was so angry about. One time, he thought he saw a shadow pass by, but it just turned out to be an owl out hunting.

Suddenly, he felt quakes beneath his feet as he and Toph sensed their surroundings some more. Aang could hear clanging metal and young voices calling as they walked on towards the source of the sound. He prayed to the spirits of his world, wherever they were, that Harry and his friends would not get expelled. But just when things could not get worse, he heard a familiar sound.

"STUDENTS OUT OF BED!" the voice of Peeves bellowed loudly. "STUDENTS OUT OF BED DOWN THE CHARMS CORRIDOR!"

"Students?" Aang asked, briefly confused. "What students?"

Toph nudged him away sharply. "Us, that's who, Twinkletoes!"

Just then, Harry and his friends had rushed past them, and the two of them joined them. The six students ran right to the end of the corridor where they slammed into a door...but it was locked.

"This is it!" Ron moaned as they pushed feebly at the door. "We're done for! This is the end!"

"Oh, move over," Hermione snarled, grabbing Harry's wand. She tapped the lock and whispered, "_Alohomora_!"

The lock clicked and the door swung open. The six students piled through it, shut it quickly, and pressed their ears against it, listening.

"Which way did they go, Peeves?" the voice of Filch was saying. "Quick, tell me."

Then Peeves' voice chanted, "Say 'please.'"

Filch snarled, "Don't mess with me, Peeves! Now _where did they go_?"

"Shan't say nothing if you don't say please," Peeves said in his annoying singsong voice.

"All right..._please_."

"NOTHING! Ha haaa! Told you I wouldn't say nothing if you didn't say please! Ha ha! Haaaaaa!"

And they heard the sound of Peeves whooshing away and Filch cursing in rage.

"He thinks this door is locked," Harry whispered. "I think we'll be okay...get _off_, Neville!"

For Neville had been tugging on the sleeve of Harry's bathrobe for the last minute.

"_What_?"

"Neville, if you don't let go of my arm, I'll let your mouth meet my fist," Toph growled, for he had latched onto her arm and whimpered.

Aang was telling them to shush when he turned around...and saw what. For a moment, he was sure he had walked into a nightmare; this was too much, on top of everything that had happened so far.

"Oh no...what is it?" Aang asked, feeling scared.

"Nothing good, I'm sure," Toph muttered.

They weren't in a room, as Aang had supposed they were in. They were in a corridor. It was the forbidden corridor on the third floor. And now they knew why it got its nickname.

They were looking straight into the eyes of a horrific dog, a dog that filled the space between the ceiling and the floor. It had three heads with the same reactions. It had three pairs of rolling mad eyes, three twitching noses, and three drooling mouths, saliva hanging in slippery ropes from yellowish fangs.

"What the heck is that thing?" Aang rasped with shock. Never before had he seen an animal so horrible and angry-looking.

It was standing still, all six eyes staring at them, and Aang knew that the only reason they weren't already dead was that their sudden appearance had taken it by surprise. But it was quickly getting over that; there was no mistaking what those thunderous growls meant. This was just like coming across a platypus bear: if the animal got startled, it would get over it and attack.

All six groped for the doorknob, trying hard to open it. Between Filch and death, he would rather take Filch.

They fell backward. Harry slammed the door shut, and they ran, almost flew, back down the hall. Filch must have hurried off to look for them somewhere else, because they didn't see him, but they didn't care a lot. All they wanted to do was to get as far away from that monstrous dog as they could. They didn't stop running until they got to the Fat Lady's portrait on the seventh floor.

Toph quickly split off from the small group, panting, "See you guys. I'm goin' back.'" They waved good-night to her as the blind EarthBender ran off in the other direction.

"Where on earth have you all been?" she asked, seeing their bathrobes hanging off from their shoulders and their flushed sweaty faces.

"Never mind that...pig snout...pig snout," panted Harry, and the portrait swung forward. They scrambled into the common room and collapsed, trembling, into armchairs.

It was a while before any of them said anything. Neville looked as if he would never speak again.

"It's okay. You're okay now," Katara cooed, trying to calm Neville down as she came to greet them.

"What do they think they're doing, keeping a thing like that locked up in a school?" Ron asked at last. "If any dog needs exercise, that one does."

Hermione had got both her breath and her bad temper back again. "You don't use your eyes, any of you, do you?" she snapped. "Didn't you see what it was standing on?"

"The floor?" Harry suggested. "I wasn't looking at its feet. I was too busy with its heads."

"Yeah," Aang said. "It's kinda hard to not look at the heads. Plus, I've never seen an animal with three heads before."

"No, _not _the floor," Hermione retorted disdainfully. "It was standing on a trapdoor. It's obviously guarding something." She stood up, glaring at them. "I hope you're pleased with yourselves. We could all have been killed...or worse, _expelled_. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to bed."

Ron stared after her, his mouth open. "No, we don't mind," he said. "You'd think we dragged her along, wouldn't you?"

Katara, who was listening to them, said, "I don't know about you, but I think she needs her priorities straightened out."

Ron nodded. "Yeah. Wish she'd take it easy for once."

Looking over at Aang, Katara asked, "Could you two give us a moment or two? I'd like to have a word with Aang."

Harry and Ron nodded and began walking upstairs up to their room, Neville following them. When the three boys were gone, Katara turned around to give Aang a slightly stern look.

"I know, I know," Aang said as he held up his arms in defeat. "That was very stupid and very dangerous. Right?"

"Yes it was," Katara agreed. "But it was brave of you and Toph to go with them out late."

Aang chuckled nervously and, as the two shared a hug, looked deep into her blue eyes, as if reassuring her that he was all right. To his own wonder, he leaned towards her face and gently licked her on the right cheek, his tongue rasping over her smooth tanned skin. Just as Aang did so, he pulled away while Katara looked at him with mild shock, touching where he licked her.

When he looked away, he muttered, "Sorry. I won't do it again."

"It's all right, Aang," Katara replied, smiling at him. As he turned about to face her, she added, "I already licked your cheek two times. And besides...Hermione said that the three headed dog was guarding something, right?"

"Yeah. And Hagrid said that Gringotts was the safest place in this world for something you'd like to keep safe, right?" Aang asked.

Katara nodded. "Except Hogwarts, of course. So what did you think of that dog?"

Aang sighed. "Out of all the animals in both worlds, I think I hate that one."

"You hate an animal?" Katara asked with amusement. "That should go in the papers at Ba Sing Se: 'Avatar Aang Hates An Animal!'"

"Very funny," Aang retorted with mock anger. Then he kissed her lightly on the lips and said, "I'm going up to bed. Love you, sweetie."

Katara tickled his nose with her own and murmured back, "Love you too. Good night."

Aang gave her one more kiss and went back up to bed with the other Gryffindor boys. But as he settled himself down in the covers next to Momo, who was snoring slightly on the pillow, he began thinking over what he and Katara talked about.

It was true that no other place in Harry's world was safer than Gringotts...except Hogwarts. But he had to wonder what the little grubby package Harry told him about was. After some more thinking, he had found out where the grubby little package from vault seven hundred and thirteen was.

_Was the monster dog _bought _to be in the third-floor corridor? If so...why?_

_To be continued..._

**...**

**AvatarCat12: Once again, sorry if it took me quite a while to update. It's just...I'm trying to upload one story after the other, and that got me thinking. What if I concentrated on trying to upload one story at a time? Then I wouldn't be in this funk I'm in right now.**

**Sorry about my ranting. Let's go on to the review stuff and the preview for Halloween. You heard right. I'm not adding a hidden chapter...yet. But anyways, anyone who wants to review this chapter can go ahead; all they gotta do is press the review button. I do not allow flames on this story or any other story. But I DO allow constructive criticism on here, just as long as it's not harsh.**

**Preview: After Quidditch practice, Aang and Katara go for a fly around the castle, talking about many things. But when a student is in danger on Halloween, rivals must become one to defeat the danger of Halloween.**

**See ya next time!**


	11. Halloween

**AvatarCat12: Sorry if I hadn't uploaded this story yet, everyone. I got distracted, that's all. Now that that's done and out of the way, we'll go on.**

**Now about this entire series...I've decided to add in stuff inspired by other FanFiction authors I've read about. And those authors are Light Echo Sage, FrodoTheHutt, and even MasterFirebender84. So let's get on with the disclaimer and summary.**

**Disclaimer: Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko, and Erin Hunter are the proud owners of Avatar: The Last AirBender and Harry Potter. Not me. I'm just blending them together for others' entertainment.**

**Summary: One morning, Team Avatar sees Harry receiving a pleasant surprise. And after Quidditch practice, Aang tells Toph about Quidditch. But when a student is in danger on Halloween, rivals must become one to defeat the danger of Halloween.**

**Uploading Date: April 16, 2012**

**Enjoy!**

**...**

_Halloween_

Malfoy couldn't believe it when he saw that Aang, Harry, Ron, and Toph were still at Hogwarts the next day, looking tired but cheerful. By the next morning, Aang thought meeting the three-headed dog was a scary adventure, but he was keen to have another one. In the meantime, Harry filled Ron in about the package that was moved from Gringotts to Hogwarts, and they spent time wondering what could possibly need such heavy protection. And Aang and Katara also spent time talking about it.

"It's either useful or really dangerous," Aang was saying. "What could it be?"

"Probably both," Katara replied.

Sokka, who was listening in on this, added, "Maybe it's gold for a dragon. Don't they like gold?"

But all they knew for sure about the mysterious object was that it was about two inches long. So they didn't have much chance of guessing what it was without further clues.

Neither Neville nor Hermione showed any interest in what lay under the dog and the trapdoor. All Neville cared about was never going near the dog again. Hermione was refusing to speak to the Gryffindor boys and Katara, but she was such a bossy know-it-all that they saw this as an added bonus. All they wanted for now was a way of getting back at Malfoy, and such a thing arrived in the mail about a week later.

**...**

As the owls flooded into the Great Hall as usual, everyone's attention was caught at once by a long, thin package carried by six large screech owls.

"I wonder what that could be," Aang wondered as a barn owl dropped off a letter from Bumi. His old friend was doing well...though he would only have a few more years left to live.

Harry was just as interested as everyone else to see what was in this large parcel. Sokka was quite amazed when the owls soared down and dropped it right in front of him, knocking his bacon to the floor. Ron looked shocked at the bacon dropping on the floor.

They had hardly flown out of the way when yet another owl dropped a letter on top of the parcel. Harry ripped open the letter first, which was lucky, because Sokka could see his mouth form the words Nimbus Two Thousand.

"A Nimbus Two Thousand!" Ron moaned enviously. "I've never even _touched _one."

"Well, I guess you can now," Sokka said, smiling broadly.

Katara gave her brother a sly smile. "Why do you say that? You want one two?"

Sokka gave her a mock scared look. "After how that one hit me in the head? No thanks!"

Ron gave him a look as if he was offended. "What? But I thought you'd like brooms! But anyways, let's go up to the dorm and open it together."

Harry nodded. "Yeah. You wanna come with us, Sokka?"

"Heck yeah!"

They left the hall quickly, wanting to unwrap the broom in private before their first class, but halfway across the entrance hall, they found the way upstairs barred by Crabbe and Goyle. Malfoy seized the package from Harry and felt it. Sokka felt like going over and taking it back, but Malfoy tossed it back to Harry, a mix of spite and jealousy on his face.

"That's a broomstick," he sneered. "You'll be in for it this time, Potter. First years aren't allowed them."

Sokka frowned at him. "Hey, can't blame a guy for getting a good one, though."

Ron also couldn't resist it. "It's not any old broomstick," he said. "It's a Nimbus Two Thousand. What did you say you've got at home, Malfoy? A Comet Two Sixty?" Then he turned to grin at Harry. "Comets look flashy, but they're not in the same league as the Nimbus."

Malfoy snapped. "What would you know about it, Weasley? you couldn't afford half the handle! I suppose you and your brothers have to save up twig by twig."

"Hey!" Sokka snapped. "Being poor isn't anything to be ashamed of! It's easy picking on the poor. Easy...but not right!"

Before Ron could answer, Professor Flitwick appeared at Malfoy's elbow. "Not arguing, I hope, boys?" he squeaked.

"Potter's been sent a broomstick, Professor," Malfoy said quickly, giving Harry a sneer.

"Yes, yes, that's right," Flitwick said, beaming at Harry. Sokka was shocked and amused as Flitwick went on, "Professor McGonagall told me all about the special circumstances, Potter. And what model is it?"

"A Nimbus Two Thousand," Harry said as Sokka fought not to laugh at the look of horror on Malfoy's face. Then Harry added, "And it's really thanks to Malfoy here that I've got it."

The three boys headed upstairs, smothering their laughter at Malfoy's rage and confusion.

"Well, it's true," Harry chortled as they reached the top of the marble staircase. "If he hadn't stolen Neville's Remembrall, I wouldn't be on the team..."

"So I suppose you think that's a reward for breaking rules?" an angry voice from behind them snapped.

Hermione was stomping up the stairs, looking disapprovingly at the package in Harry's hand. Sokka had no idea what was up with this girl and following the rules. Even though Katara would always stick to the rules, she was never this snobby; of course, she would be more serious than the others, but she wasn't this snobby.

"I thought you weren't speaking to us?" Harry told her.

"Yes, don't stop now," Ron piped up. "It's doing us so much good."

Sokka added, "Yeah. Make like a polar dog and scram!"

Hermione glared at him with disgust before marching away with her nose in the air. Sokka just tutted and shook his head.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk," he muttered. "That girl's got issues. Brains, yeah, but issues."

**...**

The earth in Toph's hands morphed into a small bison shape before shifting it into a small fist. She had wanted to have a friendly spar with Aang, but he had to go with Harry to his own private Quidditch lesson. And she was sure Aang and Katara went off to fly around the school before coming back.

Right before she could fall asleep in the secret room Team Avatar shared on weekends, a loud whoosh of air woke Toph up. She looked around, trying to find out who made that noise, but by the feelings of the earth beneath her, she could tell who that was. And this person bounded over to her, feeling really excited.

"Hey Toph!" Aang said, sounding excited. "I wish you were there to see...sorry."

Toph shrugged. "No problem. And to make sure that doesn't happen..." She reached over to punch him on the shoulder. "There. That should work."

Aang chuckled with a mixture of anxiety, amusement, and pain. "All right then. You wanna hear about Quidditch? Harry and I learned it earlier!"

"Sure. Why not?" Toph replied. "I sure can use the sleep."

Ignoring the sarcasm in her voice, Aang began to explain everything.

"Quidditch is easy enough to understand, even if it's not too easy to play. There are seven players on each side. Three of them are called Chasers."

"Three Chasers," Toph repeated, yawning.

"The big red ball's called the Quaffle. The Chasers throw the Quaffle to each other and try and get it through one of the hoops to score a goal. Ten points every time the Quaffle goes through one of the hoops."

"The Chasers throw the Quaffle and put it through the hoops to score," Toph repeated while she thought in her head, _When will Twinkletoes and I get to training?_

"Now, there's another player on each side who's called the Keeper. Oliver Wood's the Keeper for Gryffindor. He has to fly around our hoops and stop the other team from scoring."

"Three Chasers, one Keeper," Toph muttered. "And they play with the Quaffle. Okay, got that."

"The Bludgers rocket around, trying to knock players off their brooms. That's why there's two Beaters on each team; it's their job to protect their side from the Bludgers and try to knock them toward the other team. That sounds rather dangerous, but I guess that's how they play the game. So...you got all that?"

"Three Chasers try and score with the Quaffle; the Keeper guards the goal posts; the Beaters keep the Bludgers away from their team," Toph reeled off. "Yeah. Got it."

Aang went on, "Then there's the Golden Snitch, and it's the most important ball of the lot. It's hard to catch because it's so fast and difficult to see. It's the Seeker's job to catch it. Harry has to weave in and out of the Chasers, Beaters, Bludgers, and Quaffle to get it before the other team's Seeker, because whichever Seeker catches the Snitch wins his team an extra hundred and fifty points. We catch it when we're in the lead...we win. Well, that's it. Any questions?"

Toph raised her hand. "Question."

Aang turned to her and smiled. "Yes, Toph?"

"Why tell me this when it's during the day?" the blind EarthBender asked.

She did not notice the sarcastic rolling of the Avatar's eyes.

**...**

Perhaps it was because he was so busy with Quidditch practice three evenings a week on top of all his homework, but Aang could hardly believe it that he and his friends were at Hogwarts for two months. Even though he missed his world, he had started to like this world. His lessons were becoming more interesting now that they mastered the basics.

On Halloween morning, they woke to the delicious smell of baking pumpkin wafting through the halls. Even better, Professor Flitwick announced in Charms that they were ready to start making objects fly. This was something they were dying to try since they saw him make Toph's Toad Boulder and Neville's toad Trevor zoom around the classroom.

Flitwick put the class into pairs to practice. Harry's partner was Seamus Finnigan, but Neville had been trying to catch his eye. Aang and Sokka were paid up together while Katara and Toph were paired up together. Ron, however, was to be working with Hermione. It was hard to tell whether Ron or Hermione was angrier about this. She hadn't spoken to him or Harry, or even Sokka since the day Harry's broomstick had arrived.

"Now, don't forget that nice wrist movement we've been practicing!" Flitwick, squeaked, perched on top of his pile of books as usual. "Swish and flick. Remember. Swish and flick."

"Swish and flick," Katara repeated quietly as she wrote this down.

Flitwick went on, "And saying the magic words properly is very important, too; never forget Wizard Baruffio, who said 's' instead of 'f' and found himself on the floor with a buffalo on his chest."

This caused all four members of Team Avatar to laugh silently about that. Aang could imagine a flying bison landing on this person's chest, all ten tons of bison.

But as for the spell, it was very difficult. Harry and Seamus swished and flicked, but the feather they were supposed to be sending skyward just lay on the desktop. Seamus got so impatient that he prodded it with his wand and set fire to it; Harry had to put it out with his hat. Aang tried to use AirBending, but Flitwick had told him no using Bending to cheat. So the Avatar decided to use his wand instead.

Ron, at the next table, wasn't having much more luck. "_Wingardium Leviosa!_" he was shouting, waving his long arms like a windmill.

"You're saying it wrong," Aang heard Hermione snap. "It's Wing-_gar_-dium Levi-_o_-sa. Make the 'gar' nice and long."

"You do it, then, if you're so clever," Ron snarled.

Hermione rolled up the sleeves of her gown, flicked her wand at the feather, and said loud and clear, "_Wingardium Leviosa!_"

Their feather rose off the desk and hovered about four feet above their heads. Aang wanted to join in by using AirBending, but Hermione wouldn't thank him for that.

"Oh, well done!" Flitwick cheered, clapping. "Everyone see here! Miss Granger's done it!"

But Sokka didn't pay that much attention. Instead, he kept tapping the feather until sparks flew out of it. In a few seconds, he was wearing a sour expression as the tip of his "warrior's wolf tail" caught on fire. And the feather was now nothing more than dust before him.

"I think we need a new feather, Professor," Aang piped up.

**...**

"'It's Wing-gar-dium Levi-_o_-sa, not Levi-_or_-sa!" Sokka was grumbling as Team Avatar got out of class.

Katara rolled her eyes at her brother's ranting. He had still sounded sore from failing to make his feather float...not that Aang hadn't helped.

But Ron was in more of a bad mood by the end of the class than Sokka. As he and Harry made their way into the crowded corridor, he snapped, "It's no wonder no one can stand her. She's a nightmare, honestly."

Someone knocked into Harry as they hurried past him. It was Hermione. Katara caught a glimpse of her face...and was startled to see that she was in tears. She felt the same way that poor girl did, after how Malfoy and Pansy insulted her mother and made her cry a month ago.

"I think she heard you," Harry muttered.

"So?" Ron replied, but he looked a bit uncomfortable. "She must've noticed she's got no friends."

But Katara glared at him. "Really? You're _really_ going to say that right now?"

Ron looked offended. "What? I'm just speaking what I know."

"But what you _spoke what you know_ hurt her feelings!" Katara spat angrily, glaring coldly at him. "Did you not remember what happened a month ago with Malfoy? He and that bratty girlfriend of his got me upset for insulting our mom! And I can't believe you're doing the same thing! What do you have to say for yourself?"

Ron didn't speak.

Katara let out a little snort. "Huh. That's what I thought."

**...**

Hermione didn't turn up for the next class and wasn't seen all afternoon. On their way down to the Great Hall for the Halloween feast, Toph overheard Parvati Patil telling her friend Lavender that Hermione was crying in the girls' bathroom and wanted to be left alone. Ron felt even more awkward at this, but a moment later they had entered the Great Hall, where the decorations put Hermione out of the minds of Harry and Ron. ...Sokka too.

Toph muttered at the lack of empathy from Harry and Ron. Sure, she had a mind as tough as steel, but she valued her friends too. And if Hermione was bossing them around just because she was concerned about them...they would need to cook up a _big_ apology.

A thousand live bats fluttered from the walls and ceiling while a thousand more swooped over the tables in low black clouds, making the candles in the pumpkins stutter. The feast appeared suddenly on the golden plates, as it had at the start-of-term banquet. Toph could feel the gusts of wind the bats' wings were making, letting her think of wolf-bats.

"I wish they used wolf-bats instead of real bats," she muttered. "That'd be more interesting."

"Well, we ARE in a different world," Katara retorted. She still sounded rather sore at Ron for insulting Hermione like that.

But Aang whispered to her, "Katara, I think we better let Ron settle this with Hermione for now. We don't wanna stir up trouble."

The WaterBender mumbled, "...I guess not."

Toph was just helping herself to a steak when Professor Quirrell came sprinting into the hall, terror pulsing in his footsteps. Everyone stared as he reached Dumbledore's chair, slumped against the table, and gasped, "Troll! In the dungeons! Thought you ought to know." He then sank to the floor in a dead faint.

There was a loud uproar, and even Sokka was freaking out like when they were at the Serpent's Pass. It took several purple firecrackers exploding from the end of Dumbledore's wand to bring silence.

"Prefects," he rumbled, "lead your Houses back to the dormitories immediately!"

Percy was in his element as he called, "Follow me! Stick together, first years! No need to fear the troll if you follow my orders! Stay close behind me, now. Make way, first years coming through! Excuse me, I'm a prefect!"

"How could a troll get in?" Harry was asking as they climbed the stairs.

"Don't ask me. They're supposed to be really stupid," Ron replied. "Maybe Peeves let it in for a Halloween joke."

They passed different groups of people hurrying in different directions. As they jostled their way through a crowd of confused Hufflepuffs, Toph remembered something.

"Hey, guys!" Toph hissed when the others were out of sight. Her friends came over to see what she wanted. "You know how Hermione's in the bathroom crying, right?"

"Yes. And as I recall, it was Ron's fault she's upset!" Katara answered angrily.

Toph rolled her eyes...at the wall. When Sokka turned her around to face them, she said, "Well, she doesn't know anything about the troll. I mean, she would if she came out to the Great Hall!"

She could feel Katara's anger turn to fear right away. "Hermione doesn't...oh Great Spirits! We have to find her and fast!"

"If not, then who'll save her?" Aang asked. "What about the teachers?"

"I'm afraid not, buddy," Sokka told him. "The last time I saw Snape, he was heading towards the third-floor corridor."

Ducking down, they joined the Hufflepuffs going the other way, slipped down a deserted side corridor, and hurried off toward the girls' bathroom. They had just turned the corner when they heard quick footsteps behind them. Toph was hoping it was Percy; that way, she could give him a Halloween scare like she had heard about.

But when she felt the ground, she realized that it wasn't Percy. It was Snape. The Potions Master was walking down the corridor and disappeared from view.

"What's he doing?" Katara whispered. "Why isn't he in the dungeons with the other teachers?"

"Beats me," Sokka answered in reply.

But Aang's voice cut into the chat: "Can you smell something?"

Toph sniffed, and a foul stench reached her nostrils. It was like a mixture of old clothes and the smelly fumes of a skunk bear.

And then they heard it: a low grunting, and the shuffling footfalls of gigantic feet. Sokka steered Toph towards the sound: at the end of a passage to the left, something huge was moving toward them. They shrank into the shadows and watched as it emerged into a patch of moonlight.

Toph heard Katara retch slightly beside her and asked, "What's up, Sugar Queen? What's it look like? Ozai with a bad hair day?"

"Well..." Katara rasped. "...it's _huge, _dull gray, has a lumpy body, and a small bald head on top like a coconut. It's got short legs like trees with flat horny feet. It smells disgusting, it's got a huge wooden club, and its arms are so long."

"In other words..._not_ Ozai with a bad hair day," Sokka concluded.

The troll stopped next to a doorway and peered inside. It grunted, making up its tiny mind, then it slouched slowly into the room.

They started to run back up the passage, wanting to warn the teachers as soon as possible. But when they reached the corner, they heard something that made their hearts stop: a high petrified scream. And it was coming from _the chamber they just left_.

"Oh, no," Aang gulped, sounding scared now. "It's the girls' bathroom!"

"_Hermione!_" all four shouted together.

_It's the last thing I wanna do,_ Toph thought a bit defiantly. _But what choice do we have?_

Wheeling around, they sprinted back to the door and spotted the problem: a key that had locked up the door. Someone must have locked the beast in there, leaving it to figure a way to get out. So they tried to turn the key, but they had started fumbling in their panic.

"Make way! MetalBender inventor coming through!" Toph shouted, barging quickly past an astonished Sokka. She flew at the door, kicked it hard, and went down with it as they crashed through.

Hermione was shrinking against the wall opposite, feeling as if she was about to faint. The troll was advancing on her, knocking the sinks off the walls as it went.

"Confuse it!" Harry was calling desperately to Ron. He seized a tap and threw it as hard as he could against the wall.

"Good thinking, Scar Head!" Toph called back, grabbing the ground in her hand, taking a big chunk out, and threw it at the wall.

The troll stopped a bit away from Hermione and lumbered about to see what had made the noise. Its mean little eyes saw Harry and Sokka, who hit it on the head with his boomerang. It hesitated, then it made its way at them instead, lifting its club as it went.

"Oi, pea-brain!" Ron yelled from the other side of the chamber and threw a metal pipe at it. The troll didn't seem to notice the pipe hitting its shoulder, but it heard the yell and paused again. It turned towards Ron, giving Aang and Harry time to run around it.

"Come on, run! _Run_!" Harry yelled at Hermione, trying to pull her to the door, but she couldn't move. She was still flat against the wall, filled with even more terror. Aang even tried to get behind her and push her forward, but she still wouldn't budge.

The shouting and the echoes seemed to be driving the troll berserk. It roared again and started toward Ron, who was nearest and had no way to escape. Katara quickly summoned up flooding water from the floor, Bended it into a whip, and lashed it at the troll's backside.

"Thanks, troll!" she giggled. "I think there IS one good thing about trolls after all!"

Harry then did something very brave and very stupid. He took a running jump and managed to fasten his arms around the troll's neck from behind. The troll couldn't feel Harry hanging there, but Toph guessed a troll could even notice if someone stuck a long bit of wood up its nose, and Harry's wand was in his hand when he jumped. It had gone straight up one of the troll's nostrils.

"Eww!" the four others exclaimed.

Howling with pain, the troll twisted and flailed its club, with Harry clinging on for dear life; any second, the troll would rip him off or catch him with a terrible club blow. Aang tried to pry the troll away by leaping onto its head and pull it away, but he ended up doing the same thing Harry did: sticking his AirBending staff up its nose.

"Eww!" the four others exclaimed again.

But Toph just smiled and muttered, "Awesome." Even though she couldn't see, she knew what would happen.

Hermione sank to the floor in fright; Sokka was busy throwing his boomerang at the troll, calling it some really weird names. Aang then tried to fire a fire blast at the troll's gut, but it lumbered at him and caught him by the ankle, dangling him upside down.

"AANG!" Katara screeched with fear, hitting the troll even harder with her water whips.

"Ron! Do something!" Aang called as the troll swiped towards him.

"What can _I _do?" Ron asked back.

Aang wiggled out of the way, retorting, "Anything!"

So Ron pulled out his own wand, not knowing what to do, and shouted the first spell that came into his head: "_Wingardium Leviosa!_"

The club flew suddenly out of the troll's hand, rose high up into the air, and turned slowly over. Its owner looked up just in time for the club to drop, with a shocking crack, on its owner's head, making it let go of Aang and letting Harry fall to the floor. The troll swayed on the spot and fell flat on its face, with a thud that made the bathroom tremble like an earthquake. Toph had stood in the shadow of the beast and did not move as its body fell on top of her.

"TOPH!" all three of her friends shouted.

"I'm okay!" Toph's muffled voice called as she burrowed out from under the troll and got to her feet. She felt the troll's side to feel its heartbeat; it was alive due to the soft thudding of its heart, but it was knocked out.

"Is it...dead?" Hermione asked timidly.

"I don't think so," Harry replied. "I think it's just been knocked out."

Toph rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I was thinking the same thing, Scar Head."

But at that moment, Katara rushed up to the blind EarthBender and hugged her, scolding her sharply, "Toph, you could've been squashed under there! What were you thinking?"

"What I WAS thinking, Ms. Prissy Britches," Toph retorted, "is that I'm an EarthBender, and that I can burrow underground with ease. Plus, I could feel the earth where the troll was standing on. Remember that?"

"Yeah...you got a point there," Katara admitted.

Sokka was saying to Ron in the meantime, "What you did out there was awesome! You were waving that wand around like 'Swoosh!' and 'Zip!' That club flew outta that troll's hands! Once again, good job, buddy!"

A sudden slamming and loud footsteps made all seven of them look up. They hadn't realized what a racket they had been making, but of course, someone downstairs must have heard the crashes and the troll's roars.

A moment later, Professor McGonagall came bursting into the room, closely followed by Snape, with Quirrell bringing up the rear. Quirrell took one look at the troll, let out a whimper, and sat quickly down on a toilet, clutching his heart. Snape bent over the troll. McGonagall was looking at Ron, Harry, and Team Avatar. Toph had never felt her being so angry. Hopes of winning fifty points for Hufflepuff faded quickly from Toph's mind.

"What on earth were you thinking of?" McGonagall hissed, cold fury in her voice. "You're lucky you all weren't killed. Why aren't you in your dormitories?"

Then a small voice came out of the shadows. "Please, Professor McGonagall...they were looking for me."

McGonagall rasped in a shocked voice, "Miss Granger!"

"I went looking for the troll because I..." Hermione began. "I thought I could deal with it on my own; you know, because I've read all about them."

Toph's jaw dropped a bit. Hermione Granger, telling a lie to a teacher?

Hermione went on, "If they hadn't found me, I'd be dead now. Harry stuck his wand up its nose, and so did Aang with his AirBending staff, Toph, Katara, and Sokka kept it distracted, and Ron knocked it out with its own club. They didn't have time to come and fetch anyone. It was about to finish me off when they arrived."

Toph merely shrugged while Sokka started to whistle innocently. They were pretending that this story wasn't new to them.

"Well...in that case..." McGonagall said, staring at them. "Miss Granger, you foolish girl, how could you think of tackling a mountain troll on your own?"

Hermione hung her head. She was the last person to do anything against the rules, and here she was, pretending she had, to get them out of trouble. It was like Snape handing out sweets...which was something Toph preferred not to think about.

"Miss Granger, five points will be taken from Gryffindor for this," McGonagall scolded the bushy-haired girl. "I'm very disappointed in you. If you're not hurt at all, you'd better get off to Gryffindor tower. Students are finishing the feast in their Houses."

Hermione left.

McGonagall turned to Harry, Ron, and Team Avatar. "Well, I still say you were lucky, but not many first years could have taken on a full-grown mountain troll. You each win Gryffindor five points. As for Team Avatar, five points apiece for Aang and Katara, five points for Sokka, and five points for Toph. Professor Dumbledore will be informed of this. You may go."

They hurried out of the chamber and didn't speak at all until they had climbed two floors up. It was a relief to be away from the smell of the troll, quite apart from anything else.

"Aww, man, guys!" Sokka grumbled to Aang and Katara. "You guys! You could've gotten more than twenty points!"

Katara replied, "Actually, she took five from Hermione. So it's actually fifteen."

"Good of her to get us out of trouble like that," Ron admitted, joining in. "Mind you, we _did _save her."

"She might not have needed saving if we hadn't locked the thing in with her," Harry reminded him.

"And she also might not have needed any saving if you hadn't made fun of her," Katara told Ron, her voice hardening again.

Ron just muttered, "Well, what're friends for?"

**(Author's Note: Once again, switching points of views.)**

A few seconds later, Toph and Sokka split off from the team and went off to their own dorms. Aang, Katara, Harry, and Ron had reached the portrait of the Fat Lady, Momo and Gin greeting them at the entrance. Momo had leaped onto Aang's shoulder and received a chin rub while Gin leapt onto Katara and rested his forepaws on her chest, licking her face.

"Pig snout," they all said and entered.

The common room was packed and noisy. Everyone was eating the food that had been sent up. Hermione, however, stood alone by the door, waiting for them. There was a very embarrassed pause. Then, none of them looking at each other, they all said "Thanks," and hurried off to get plates.

But before they did that, Ron looked over at Hermione and said, "Um...sorry for making fun of you earlier. Katara was right. That was rude of me."

"It's all right," Hermione replied. "And I'm sorry if I've acted too bossy. I just wanted to keep an eye out for you."

"Hey, I do the same for Aang and the others," Katara added, smiling. "I think we should trade secrets on how to do it sometime."

**...**

From that moment on, Hermione Granger became their friend. There are some things a person could not share without ending up liking each other, and knocking out a twelve-foot mountain troll was one of them.

And after that, the Golden Trio was formed, and the Golden Trio stood by Team Avatar from now on.

_To be continued..._

**...**

**AvatarCat12: If you're all pondering how Toph could see all this, don't. I'm just telling not only from her point of view, but from the narrator's point of view. And I hope I put in the characters' personalities right. If not, then you can tell me how I can fix it up and make them better.**

**But enough of that for now. First we'll say the review, and then it'll be the preview for More Surprises. Those who review this chapter will receive virtual pizzas of their choice, and I can also throw in any idea for the next chapter I'm posting. Flames are not allowed on here, but constructive criticism is.**

**Oh, and since Legend of Korra came out on Saturday, you can also get figurines of your favorite LOK character: Korra, Mako, Bolin, Tenzin, and more!**

**Preview: Aang and Katara go for a glider ride around Hogwarts, spending more time together. Meanwhile, Momo gets into trouble with some owls over breakfast, so he goes out for revenge.**

**See ya next time!**


	12. The Hogwarts Showdown

**AvatarCat12: Hey, everyone. To let you know, I might be putting some of my stories up for adoption including Avatar Seekers and Bluebeard's Story. If anyone wants them, then they're more than welcome to have them. No seriously. You're more than welcome to.**

**And to let you know why I haven't updated a lot lately...I haven't been sick or taking a break from FanFiction. It's just...I'm a very slow writer. I procrastinate.**

**But enough of the pitying-self thing right now. First, WinxPossilbe, your request for Malfoy falling down a hole Looney Tune style will appear soon. Second, on with the disclaimer!**

**Disclaimer: Mike DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko, and J.K. Rowling are the proud owners of Avatar: The Last AirBender and Harry Potter. I'm just blending these two series together for others' enjoyment. That means I don't own them.**

**Summary: Aang and Katara decide to have a flight around Hogwarts for some exploration. Along the way as they explore, they get some romance going on. Meanwhile, Momo gets into a fight with Malfoy's eagle owl and tries to get revenge...Momo style!**

**Uploading Date: May 11, 2012**

**Enjoy!**

**...**

_**The Hogwarts Showdown**_

Momo chittered as he scrambled over Aang's shoulder to get into a tree with rare fruit. The little lemur climbed up its trunk with ease and leapt onto the lowest branch, picking out an orange fruit and eating it. Aang had no idea what fruit Momo had gotten this time, but he hoped it was safe for a lemur to eat. Behind him, Appa was lapping up some water from the lake before stepping back as a long tentacle poked out from it.

Aang knew what was hiding under the lake: the giant squid. At first, he thought it was a whale squid, one of the biggest animals in his world after the lion turtle. But it turned out to be a giant squid, coming around to play with the students or be fed table scraps. So he walked down to the shore with a bread roll in one hand and his glider staff in the other. Aang tossed the roll to the squid, which wrapped a long slimy tentacle around the roll and took it under the chilly depths.

"I think he likes you."

Quickly, Aang turned to see who had just spoken to him. The one who spoke was Harry, who had his Nimbus Two Thousand in his right hand, trying to brush his bangs over his scar. Katara was next to him, giving him a warm smile.

"How'd you know about the squid?" Aang asked the Boy Who Lived.

Harry replied, "I think Fred and George were talking about probably playing a prank with it. Talk about your fixer upper."

"If that squid is as nice as they say, then I wouldn't mind swimming with it," Katara added. "Is it nice as they say?"

Aang shrugged. "I think I heard Lee talking about those Quidditch matches with it." Wanting to change the subject, he asked, "What're you two doing out here?"

"I was just going to try riding around on my broom," Harry told him, holding the Nimbus up. "I just need to get a good feeling about riding a broom. Just like my dad; Hermione showed me the Quidditch Cup back when my dad played in Quidditch."

"Ah..." Aang still felt bad for Harry losing both his parents. There had been a bit of sadness in his voice as he talked about James Potter.

Katara noticed the looks of brief grief on their faces, for she said, "I was also thinking if we can go for a flight around the castle. So what do you say, Aang? Should we use your glider?"

Aang realized that it had been quite a while since he and Katara had ridden on the glider staff together. The last time they had done that was when they went to the Fire Nation colonies (and to Yu Dao) to speak with Zuko. It felt good to have flown with her that time; heck, it also felt good the few times they rode together during the war.

Plus, he had been busy with his homework from his Hogwarts classes, thus spending less time with his friends...and Katara. But it was another weekend, and he wanted to spend as much time with her as possible. So he knew what to say.

"Sure," Aang told her. He held up his staff and opened its wings up until the blue membranes exposed themselves. Once again, he felt a pang of loss about losing his old glider, but the one the Mechanist made for him wasn't bad either. And it even came with a little snack compartment.

"You want me to come with you?" Harry asked. "Besides, I need to practice for Quidditch, as I said earlier."

Aang shrugged. "Sure."

Katara climbed down the rocks to the shore until she stood next to him. Right away, Aang fitted himself into his glider just as Katara got on behind him, her body pressing lightly against his back. A whoosh from above told Aang that Harry had started flying above them.

The green-eyed boy called down, "C'mon, you two! Do you wanna race?"

"Sure!" Aang said again. He was eager for a race.

"A race? Right now?" Katara asked with shock, facing Aang. "I thought we were just going to fly around for a bit?"

Aang turned to face her, pretending to give her the "sad eyes" look. "Aw, come on! It's just one little race! And we won't go too fast! ...are we, Harry?" he added, turning to Harry.

"No. Like I said for the third time, I just want to get used to flying," Harry replied. "Now are we gonna race?"

Shrugging, Aang turned to face Katara to see if she would imply. Finally, his girlfriend rested her chin on his shoulder and muttered, "Okay."

At this, Aang blew a gust of wind down to the ground to lift himself and Katara off the ground while Harry circled above them. Then, as if he was called by his master, Momo dropped the piece of fruit he was eating and flew out of the tree towards Aang. And at once, Hedwig, who was Harry's snowy owl, followed her master and landed on his shoulder.

But Momo started hissing, and Aang knew why: he remembered when Sokka bought Hawky while they were on the run from the Fire Nation. Hawky and Momo had started fighting ever since they laid eyes on each other like Momo had done with a bearded cat back at Omashu.

"Momo, it's okay," Aang told his lemur while Katara carefully patted Momo's head with one hand while holding onto Aang with the other. "Hedwig's a friend. She's not gonna hurt you or anyone else."

For a lemur, Momo looked disbelieving.

"Oi! You going for a race?"

Aang looked behind him. The Weasley twins and Lee Jordan were racing to them on their brooms. Lee had some sort of microphone, as they had it in Harry's world, and all three were riding on Shooting Star brooms.

"Yeah!" Aang called back. But then, as an idea formed into his head, he asked, "Hey, Fred and George! You wanna race with us?"

Fred exchanged a smile with George. "But of course we can!"

"Besides..." George began.

"We love a good race!" both twins said at the same time.

"Tell us when to begin, Lee!" Fred called.

Lee nodded and pulled out a whistle and, before he could, started explaining the rules. The rules were that there was to be no spells thrown at other racers except for harmless spells, no making others crash, and no throwing lemurs or owls at the others. Aang understood the third rule very much; he hated to throw animals of any kind.

And at the blow of the silver whistle...they were off.

"And there goes Harry in the lead on his Nimbus Two Thousand, and what a broom it is! But wait! Aang and Katara are right behind them! Or should I say...Kataang? You know how it is! They're on a team! But anyways, the Weasley twins, the masters of mayhem at Hogwarts, are speedily catching up with them as fast as a speeding Quaffle! And they're getting near and..."

WHAM!

"THAT WAS DELIBERATE!"

A sudden blur of green-&-silver had knocked the Weasley twins out of the air and made them fall onto one of the roofs of Hogwarts. Quickly, Aang, Katara, Harry, and Lee sped down to where they had fallen. The Weasleys had crashed into a flying boar statue and fallen down, but they were still alive. When the four others flew down, they managed to see who it was who stopped their race.

It was Malfoy. He had a sneer on his pale pointed face, and his gray eyes were filled with malice. A trapdoor in the roof opened up, and Crabbe and Goyle, Malfoy's cronies, came up to join their boss.

"Oops. Didn't see you there," Malfoy sneered.

"Of course you did!" Harry snapped. "Why do you have to keep messing with us?"

Aang came forward to stand beside Harry. "He's right? Who gives you the power to bully us?"

But Malfoy didn't pay attention. Instead, he looked towards Katara and sneered at Aang, "I heard this peasant's your girlfriend. You have a horrible taste for girls."

"WHAT?" Aang roared, speeding up to stand face-to-face with the Slytherin. "What makes you say that?"

"Because I heard she's from those Water Tribes I heard you talking about," Malfoy went on with a sneer. "Don't you know you're endangering your own nation?"

"How is Aang endangering the Air Nomads?" Lee had stepped forward to ask this.

Malfoy didn't look at Lee, but he sneered to Aang while answering Lee's question, "I say you're endangering your nation by being with a girl from another nation. If I were you, I'd break off from the ugly peasant."

Aang could not believe what he was hearing as Katara had a snarl forming on her face. Malfoy was telling him to break up with Katara just because they were from different nations! Quickly, he brought his hands forward and clapped them together, making a gust of air blow Malfoy away from them.

"You're wrong, Malfoy!" Aang snapped. "People from other nations have mixed together! Heck, someone who tried to murder our friend Zuko is an EarthBender despite having a father from the Fire Nation! Besides, how is me being with Katara a bad thing?"

"AND she's not ugly," Harry added.

As Malfoy whipped out his wand, Fred and George did the same thing. Lee Jordan had pulled something that looked like a fire poker out of his pocket and pointed it at Malfoy. But Aang just wanted to settle this without fight, so he stepped in between them.

"It's all right, guys," the Avatar told them. "Let me handle this."

"Oh? And how do you plan on doing that?" Malfoy sneered. "So it's three on one you want? Then I'll give you a...what the-?"

For a small circular line started appearing under Malfoy and his cronies. And when the line was complete, the three Slytherins fell into the hole, screaming their heads off. At first, staring down the hole, Aang wondered how that hole had appeared in the first place. But then he saw what...or who...made the hole.

As he peered over the hole, a dash of green made him reel back and fall against Katara, making them fall together. Harry, Lee, and the Weasley twins watched with amusement as they landed on the ground, Aang on top of Katara with his nose touching hers. The two smiled slightly before they got back up, ignoring the others watching them.

"Sorry 'bout that," Aang whispered to Katara. "I just got startled, that's all."

"It's no problem," his girlfriend replied, kissing him lightly on the cheek. "I got startled too."

"Well, don't be. That oughta take care of those goons!"

Aang and Katara looked around to see Toph standing with Harry, Lee, and the Weasley twins. They were all looking down into the hole, where Malfoy and his cronies were yelling up at them while other students passed by. Plus, due to the telescopes around them, they were very near the Astronomy Tower.

George turned to face Toph and asked, "How'd you know where they were at?"

Toph shrugged. "I felt three ugly things approaching you guys above me. So I figured I could do something about that. And as I explained before, I can see with EarthBending; it's kinda like I can see with my feet."

"That should be good for pranks!" Lee cheered. "You gotta join us for pranking sometime!"

"Sure!" Toph replied. Turning to Harry, she said, "I heard you, Aang, and Katara were doing a race with the twins here. You gonna continue it?"

Harry shuffled his feet. "You know...I think I might practice on my own a bit...if you don't mind, that is."

Katara nodded. "Sure. And Aang and I might explore the castle some more...if that's okay."

"Okay. And I'll also explore," Harry said. "I just hope Snape doesn't catch us."

At this, he got onto his Nimbus Two Thousand broom and flew off, the Weasley Twins after him. Toph started making another circle go around her and Lee Jordan before they both fell into the hole, laughing along the way. Now Aang and Katara were the only ones left on the roof...not that they minded much.

When the others were away, Katara shared a kiss with Aang, smiling and saying as they broke away, "Thanks for that, Aang. But there wasn't any need to defend me. I could do it myself."

"Katara, I won't let him insult you just because we're together," Aang told her, his hand in her hair and twirling it. "I mean it. If Malfoy hurts you again...I'll..."

"Aang," Katara told him, laying a finger on his lips. "Don't do something you'll regret. Just let it go unless it's serious. Let the past stay in the past."

The Avatar sighed, knowing how his girlfriend could get so inspirational whenever she talked like this. So he gave a small nod and kissed her gently on the forehead, making Katara look up at him with a reassuring smile. Then she leaned up the best she could and gently rubbed his nose with hers.

"Now that we're alone now..." Katara began, "...why don't we explore the castle together?"

"Let's," Aang replied, smiling as they gently kissed again. Together, they got back onto the glider and glided off towards Hagrid's hut.

**...**

The chattering of the Great Hall made Momo look around in awe at the majesty. But one thing was on his mind for now: food. Even though he had only slept the night away, he still felt hungry for more fruit; the kind he had yesterday wasn't that filling. As for the peaches...they were good enough for him.

_Food...must find food._

So Momo leapt onto the table and started sniffing out some fruit to eat. But just when he saw a grape and was about to pick it up, a bird's foot stamped down on the grape, crushing it and making the juice inside splatter its feathers. Momo looked up in shock to see a large eagle owl glaring down at him while dropping a bag of sweets.

Enraged, Momo leapt at the owl, trying to bite and claw at it while the owl tried to do the same. He had never hated another bird besides Hawky, but this owl was starting to get on his nerves! Momo slashed his small claws on the owl's face while the owl ripped its talon through the tip of Momo's ear.

"MOMO!" Aang's voice was clear to him until other humans'. "Get away from that owl!"

Said AirBender rushed over and gently pried him away from the eagle owl, but Momo didn't want to give up now. However, Aang quickly got him from under the wings, and he knew he would go limp whenever someone picked him up like that. So he had no choice but to go limp when his master lifted him away from the owl.

"Control that monkey of yours, bald head!" the voice of the blonde human snapped. "And make sure it keeps its grubby paws to itself!"

Aang glared up at said boy and retorted, "I intend on fully doing that. And Momo's a _lemur_, not a _monkey_."

The blonde boy muttered something unheard to Momo, but he took his owl and went over to where the other people under the green banner sat. Momo glared after the eagle owl, furious at it for crushing the grape he was going to eat.

He wanted to get back at the owl really bad. And he knew how.

Once everyone finished breakfast to go to their classes, Momo leapt off of Aang's shoulder and flew out one of the high windows of the Great Hall. He breathed in the cool air that was usually good for the lemurs of the Southern Air Temple, since the Air Temple's climate consisted of mountains and a few forests. And as Momo flew over the Forbidden Forest, he could see Appa grazing at the edge, looking up at his lemur friend and giving a roar of greetings.

As he flew on towards a small village near the castle, Momo could smell something quite smelly. It smelled something like regurgitated mice and straw; that must be the owl scent. So the flying lemur flew towards the source of the smell, a tall tower a bit to the edge of the village, and flew into the window.

All around him as he landed on the windowsill, owls were looking over at him in surprise. The species included barn, snowy, great gray, great horned, elf, burrowing, screech, and spotted. There were even rare ones like fishing owls and even eagle owls. Momo tried to find the owl that crushed his grape, wanting justice for the squashed fruit. Then he saw it.

It was the same eagle owl, and it was hooting with a sooty owl. Several little owls were at its feet, massaging the feet with damp moss. This owl looked like he was the leader of the owls due to the little owls massaging its feet.

_Attack! _The voice seemed to be cutting into Momo's brain. _Attack now!_

So Momo let out a screech and flew right for the eagle owl, taking every owl by surprise. The eagle owl saw the incoming attack and flew up, making Momo crash into the wall. The lemur spun about to face his new foe, but many owls were moving forth as if to attack the newcomer. But the eagle owl gave them a hoot as if to say "Back off! He's my opponent!" and fluffed out its feathers. So they were forced to pull back.

Momo leapt at the owl again and landed on its back, clawing out some feathers. The eagle owl let out a shriek of fury and slapped its wing against his face, making Momo drop down from its back. But Momo wasn't ready to give up, for he grabbed the owl by the neck in his hands and threw the bird down to the ground. But this left his belly open to an attack.

Seizing the chance, the eagle owl kicked hard at the lemur's belly and slashed him across the face. Momo fell back with a cry of pain, feeling droplets of blood run down his face. All the other owls got up from their perches, seemingly ready to finish their leader's challenger off. But when Momo got back onto his feet, the owls fell back, gazing at him warily.

_Leap! _Momo heard the voice again. He leapt onto the owl's back again, but this time, he used his tail to wrap around its feet, making the eagle owl trip. And when Momo kept his foot there on its wings almost to breaking point, the owl started to screech. Quickly, Momo leapt off and watched as the owl wearily got to its feet, the sooty owl helping it get up.

"You win. I will not bother you again," the owl seemed to hoot at him. "Just do not come here again."

Momo, in his own tongue, chattered, "All right then. Just keep your talons off of my fruit!"

With pride in his mind, and the owls hooting for him, Momo spread his arms until the flying membrane was out and flew out the window. The fight had worn him out, and he could not get back to the Tower and cuddle beside his master.

_**To be continued...**_

**...**

**AvatarCat12: MAN, this is done at last! And I hoped I got the personality of Malfoy right in this chapter. If not, then advice to alter the speech is very welcome.**

**But anyways, let's go on with the review stuff. Read and review, everyone! Those who do will get virtual plush dolls of Tornadus, Thundurus, and Landorus; their new forms for Black 2 and White 2 were revealed today. Again, advice and constructive criticism are allowed, but flames aren't. Plus, today has been a year since I started this story, so anyone who read this story so far will get a free virtual Aang or Harry figurine.**

**And here's the preview for Quidditch.**

**Preview: Quidditch has finally arrived, and Aang and Harry are ready to show their stuff. But when something goes wrong in the Quidditch field, will Sokka and the others solve the mystery in time? Or will things get really messy?**

**See ya next time!**


	13. Quidditch

**AvatarCat12: Hey guys! Sorry I took this long in trying to make this chapter. Like I said before, I got distracted by lots of things. But don't you worry; I'm getting back on track!**

**Also, I think Aang and Zuko have already started making Republic City when they were a bit older. So on this series, the city will be completed after the Battle For Hogwarts. In other words, this will only SLIGHTLY be an alternate universe. And to people out there, I do NOT like the personality of Pug-face Parkinson. To me, she has no redeeming qualities at all. But anyways, here's the disclaimer.**

**Disclaimer: You all heard it before, and here it is again. I will NEVER own Avatar: The Last AirBender or Harry Potter. Never have, never will.**

**Summary: ****Quidditch has finally arrived, and Aang and Harry are ready to show their stuff. But when something goes wrong in the Quidditch field, will Sokka and the others solve the mystery in time? Or will things get really messy?**

**Uploading Date: July 30, 2012**

**Enjoy!**

**...**

_**Quidditch**_

As they entered November, the weather turned cold, a bit colder than Sokka expected it to be. The mountains around the school became icy gray and the lake like steel; Sokka was strongly reminded of the North and South Poles at this, for every morning, the ground was covered in frost. Hagrid, in the meantime, was defrosting broomsticks on the Quidditch field, bundled up in a long moleskin overcoat, rabbit fur gloves, and enormous beaver-skin boots.

The Quidditch season had begun.

On Saturday, Sokka would be seeing the first match of the year: Gryffindor versus Slytherin. If Gryffindor won, they would move up into second place in the house championship, though he knew Ravenclaw was in second place. Hardly anyone had seen Harry play because Wood, the Gryffindor Keeper, had decided that Harry should be kept secret since he was a secret weapon. But the news that he was playing Seeker had leaked out somehow, and Sokka didn't know which was weirder: people saying that Harry would be brilliant or people saying they would be running under Harry holding a mattress.

"It's not wrong to root for the other team, is it?" he asked a second year named Cho Chang.

"No," Cho replied. "It's not wrong. But you have to remember your own ties to your House."

It was really lucky that Hermione was a friend of Team Avatar. She had become a little more relaxed about breaking rules since Harry and Ron had saved her from the mountain troll, and she was much nicer for it. Not only that, but she had also done something that made Team Avatar grateful for her.

Aang and Katara had been talking with each other with Sokka keeping an eye on them from a distance; he didn't mind Aang dating his little sister. But he wanted to make sure Katara didn't get hurt...and he didn't want to experience any oogies. However, there weren't a lot of oogies that day; it was just plain talking with a few pecks on the cheek.

However, he heard a female voice sneer, "Hey you two!"

Growling, Sokka turned to see who it was that spoke. It was the pug-faced Pansy Parkinson, one of the Slytherins that made Katara cry and insulted their mother. The ugly pug-faced girl was with two other Slytherin girls, leering nastily at Aang and Katara with contempt. Knowing that something bad was going to come up, Sokka took the chance to glare at her, not wanting to let her insult his sister.

"Why are you two still together?" Pansy sneered as she got nearer. "Why haven't you broken up yet?"

"Is this what this sneering is about?" Sokka spoke up, unable to take this silence any longer. He had been told about Malfoy trying to force Aang to break up with Katara. "Why do you want to break them up so badly?"

Pansy just ignored him (making Sokka mutter "What am I? Your neighbor?) and turned back to Aang and Katara with a malicious sneer. "You two should break up because you're from other nations. That's not allowed."

Aang was about to retort when Katara spoke up. "Excuse me?" she asked, her voice filled with anger. "Who are you to tell us to break up?"

"But you're from other nations. People from other nations shouldn't be together," the ugly girl went on, her sneer becoming more spiteful. "Go on! Break up!"

"No," Aang retorted calmly. "No one has the right to break up because of petty reasons like that...especially since it shouldn't even be a big deal. Her brother may not approve of us a lot being together-"

Hearing this, Sokka snapped, "Of course I do! I just don't like all those oogies you make!"

Aang sighed and went on, "Okay. He might not like it if we give him...oogies...but he still approves of us! And many people like us and our friends being here!"

Pansy just jeered on, "Who would ever like you two?"

"I would."

Suddenly, a jet of flames passed in between the feuding students as Pansy jumped back with a squeal of shock. Ignoring the ugly girl, Aang, Katara, and Sokka turned to see who it was. And who spoke up and sent the fire over made them gasp in amazement.

"ZUKO?" Sokka yelped.

It was indeed Zuko. The young Fire Lord had been standing at the bench in the courtyard, a flame swirling around in his raised hand. The FireBending scar he received as a young teenager was standing out vividly like a red flower, but his amber eyes were just as fierce. And by the calm yet angry look on his face, he wasn't happy.

"Who do you think you are, taunting my friends like that?" Zuko asked, his voice cool. "No one ever insults my friends and gets away with it."

However, to their disgust, Pansy had a simpering sneer on her face as she asked the Fire Lord, "Why are you defending them? They're doing it just for attention."

That made Zuko quickly shoot a flame at her, making her squeal loudly. Sokka was afraid that Zuko would get into trouble and get kicked out of Hogwarts for attacking a student, although he just wanted to see the pug-face get it. But all Zuko said was "Talk to my friends or me like that ever again, and the fire won't miss next time. Now leave them alone."

Pansy glared at him as if to object, but Zuko's glare was tougher; Sokka knew to never mess with the young Fire Lord whenever he got angry. So the ugly pug-face had no choice but to back away and leave with her posse. But Sokka could have sworn that one of the Slytherin girls who had not joined her was giving her a stern glare.

As soon as the mean girls were gone, Aang looked over to Zuko and greeted him happily, "Hey, Zuko! I mean...Sifu Hotman!"

"I thought I asked you to stop calling me that," Zuko growled, but he sounded more lighthearted since the mean girls went away. "Anyways, it's good to see you guys again."

"So what're you doing here?" Katara asked after she finished greeting Zuko.

Zuko shrugged. "It's near this Quidditch season or whatever they say here. And besides, it was Hermione who asked me to come over. And in the meantime, while I'm away, Uncle's now the temporary Fire Lord."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Sokka spoke up, holding his hands up for silence. "You mean OUR Hermione? OUR friend Hermione invited you here."

"Yeah. She told me about what had happened with Malfoy and Pug-Face." To Katara, he asked, "Are you okay after what happened with them?"

Katara nodded. "Yes. Sokka and Professor McGonagall gave them a good tongue-lashing." Then she added, "Besides, where's Hermione? We gotta thank her."

"Over here. And you three are welcome."

The Golden Trio were standing with their backs to something, getting warm, when Snape was crossing the yard. For some odd reason, he seemed to be limping. Anyways, Snape limped over there and began saying something, and Sokka could hear the words clearly.

"Library books are not to be taken outside the school," Snape was growling. "Give it to me. Five points from Gryffindor."

As Snape limped away, Harry muttered angrily, "He's just made that rule up. Wonder what's wrong with his leg?"

"Dunno, but I hope it's really hurting him," Ron replied bitterly.

Aang gaped at him. "Really? How can you say a thing like that?"

Ron shrugged. "He's got a mean streak. And like I said before, he can turn real nasty."

"...you've...got a point there," Aang replied, but he still looked disturbed at what Ron said.

**...**

The Gryffindor common room was quite noisy that evening. Aang and Katara were resting together near the fireplace (Momo and Gin resting at their feet) while the Golden Trio were sitting together next to a window. Hermione was checking Harry and Ron's Charms homework for them, for she would never let them copy, but by asking her to read it through, they got the right answers.

Aang felt restless. He knew Harry wanted Quidditch Through the Ages back to take his mind off his nerves about tomorrow. Why would he need to be afraid of Snape? It was like being scared of a wolf cat without seeing how friendly it could be.

Getting up, Harry began telling Ron and Hermione he was going to ask Snape if he could have it.

"Better you than me," they said together.

Beside him, Katara was watching them and letting out a little "hmmm." Aang turned to her and asked, "What's up?"

"Nothing," his girlfriend replied. "It's just...Snape won't refuse to give Harry's book back if other teachers are listening."

"Good point," the Avatar remarked, smiling down at her. "I'm sure he'll get it back."

Katara gave him a kiss on the cheek in reply and snuggled up closer him. Gin then rested his broad head and large paw on Aang's knee, making him reach down and pet the silver-coated dog. But just when he and Katara got back to snuggling, Harry had come back, panting hard.

"Did you get it?" Ron asked as Harry joined them. "What's the matter?"

In a low whisper, Harry told them about what happened. Aang and Katara got up from their seat near the fireplace and went over to listen to his tale. Also, it appeared that Snape had refused to give Harry's book back.

"You know what this means?" he finished excitedly. "He tried to get past that three-headed dog at Halloween! That's where he was going when we saw him: he's after whatever it's guarding! And I'd bet my broomstick he let that troll in, to make a diversion!"

Aang nodded slowly and began to think over about what happened on Halloween. Snape had looked quite shifty as he went away from where the other teachers were.

Hermione's eyes were wide as she said, "No...he wouldn't. I know he's not very nice, but he wouldn't try and steal something Dumbledore was keeping safe."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Katara told her. "I mean, he did act sneaky on Halloween."

"I don't know," Hermione just mumbled in reply. "It really doesn't seem his style."

"Honestly, Hermione, you think all teachers are saints or something," Ron snapped. "I'm with Harry and Katara. I wouldn't put anything past Snape. But what's he after? What's that dog guarding?"

While they talked about the giant three-headed dog, Aang and Katara got back to lying down on one of the lounge chairs together. While Gin looked at them for a moment before lying back down, Katara snuggled up next to Aang until her back pressed up against his body. Aang almost had a sudden urge to lick her gently on the cheek, but he didn't want to in front of the others. Instead, smiling gently at her, the Avatar wrapped his arm around her waist and closed his eyes for a moment, resting his head on her shoulder.

There had to be something up with Snape trying to get past the three-headed dog. Either he was just going to flee from Hogwarts, or he was planning on committing some crime. Whatever the case was, Aang knew he would have to keep an eye on Snape from now on.

_I hope he doesn't catch us seeing him,_ he thought as Katara nestled in closer to him.

**...**

The next morning dawned very bright and cold, even for climate like this. The Great Hall was just full of the smell of fried sausages, and Sokka was determined to fill his stomach up with the new meat before the big day. That, and the cheerful chatter of everyone looking forward to a good Quidditch match.

Well...ALMOST everyone.

"You've got to eat some breakfast," Sokka heard someone say at the Gryffindor table.

"I don't want anything."

"Just a bit of toast," Hermione wheedled.

"I'm not hungry."

Hearing this, Sokka came over from the Ravenclaw table and said, "Come on, Harry. Just eat something and get these bad feelings to the side."

Harry said yet again, "I'm still not hungry."

"Of course you are! Don't ignore your stomach," Sokka told him with a hearty wink.

"He's right, Harry. You need your strength," Seamus Finnigan of Gryffindor added. "Seekers are always the ones who get clobbered by the other team."

"Thanks, Seamus," Harry muttered in a tone that Sokka knew best at: sarcasm.

Thankful that this was all done with, Sokka went back to where the Ravenclaws were at and got back to his breakfast. He was still a bit skeptical about magic and all it could do, but he knew better not to complain due to his respect towards the elements. However, Sokka was also quite fascinated with Hogwarts and all that happened around the castle.

_Wish Suki were here to enjoy it, _he thought, thinking of his Kyoshi Warrior girlfriend. But she had a job to do: looking out for the other Kyoshi Warriors.

**...**

By an hour towards noon, the whole school seemed to be out in the stands around the Quidditch pitch. Many students had binoculars, and the seats might be raised high in the air, but it was still hard to see what was going on sometimes.

Sokka, Katara, Toph, and Zuko had joined Ron, Hermione, Neville, Seamus, and Dean up in the top row. As a surprise for Harry and Aang, they had painted a large banner on a sheet Sokka was sure Ron's rat Scabbers had ruined. The banner said _Potter for President _along with _Long live Avatar Aang_, and Dean, who seemed good at drawing, had drawn a rather large Gryffindor lion under. Then Hermione had performed a tricky little charm so that the paint flashed different colors.

"Well, this is it!" Sokka cheered. "Who's ready to see Gryffindor kick Slytherin butt?"

"We are!" the Gryffindors (plus Zuko and Katara) cheered.

However, Toph retorted, "I'm not. I can't see. Remember, Snoozles?"

At this, Sokka slapped a hand to his forehead, muttering, "Dang it! I forgot! Sorry, Toph."

"I'll tell you how the match is going," Ron told the blind EarthBender. "In fact, I can tell you the exciting parts."

"Exciting parts?" Toph repeated, a gleam in her pale green gaze. "Sweetness!"

Just then, the Gryffindor Quidditch team walked onto the field to loud cheers from three Houses. Sokka could see Aang among the teammates, his sky-blue arrow tattoo standing out like an albino rabbaroo. Unlike Aang, who was looking excited and cheerful, Harry was looking like a nervous wreck. Beside him, Sokka could hear Zuko give a commenting snort.

"So that's Harry Potter?" the young Fire Lord asked Ron and Hermione. "Undersized specimen, isn't he?"

Ron and Hermione looked rather uneasy at this as Katara explained, "Aang and I went to his aunt and uncle's place, and he didn't seem to be treated right. They do give him some food and shelter, but not a whole lot."

Hermione added, "That's true. Aang and Katara told us the Dursleys weren't beating Harry, but they always pampered their son Dudley over him. Rather sad, I must say."

Zuko's eyes narrowed with bitter memories. "I know how he feels," he muttered before turning back to the Quidditch stadium.

Madam Hooch was refereeing. She stood in the middle of the field waiting for the two teams, her broom in her hand. Once they were all gathered around her, she called, "Now, I want a nice fair game, all of you!"

_I doubt that, _Sokka guessed, for Madam Hooch seemed to be speaking mainly to the Slytherin Captain, a sixth year named Marcus Flint. He guessed Flint looked as if he had some troll blood in him...after reminding himself of the troll that attacked Hermione.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the fluttering banner flashing _Potter for President_ over the crowd. Sokka was glad to see Harry smile a bit before turning back to the crowd, ready for the match to begin.

"Mount your brooms, please," Madam Hooch called as Harry clambered onto his broom. She gave a loud blast on her silver whistle, and fifteen different brooms rose up high into the air. Aang also lifted himself up into the air with AirBending and quickly got onto his gliding staff just in time. They were off.

"And the Quaffle is taken immediately by Angelina Johnson of Gryffindor!" Lee Jordan, who was commentating on the match, declared. What an excellent Chaser that girl is, and rather attractive too."

"JORDAN!" McGonagall barked, keeping a close eye on him.

"Sorry, Professor," Lee muttered, going back to the commentating. "And she's really belting along up there, a neat pass to Alicia Spinnet, a good find of Oliver Wood's, last year only a reserve. Back to Johnson and...no, the Slytherins have taken the Quaffle! Slytherin Captain Marcus Flint gains the Quaffle and off he goes! Flint flying like an eagle up there...he's going to...no, stopped by an excellent move by Gryffindor Keeper Wood and Avatar Aang, the VERY protective Bludger! And the Gryffindors take the Quaffle...that's Chaser Katie Bell of Gryffindor there. Nice dive around Flint, off up the field and...OUCH! That _must_ have hurt, hit in the back of the head by a Bludger. Quaffle taken by the Slytherins. That's Adrian Pucey speeding off toward the goal posts, but he's blocked by a second Bludger. Sent his way by Fred or George Weasley. Can't tell which...nice play by the Gryffindor Beater, anyway, and Johnson back in possession of the Quaffle. A clear field ahead and off she goes! She's really flying! Dodges a speeding Bludger...the goal posts are ahead...come on, now, Angelina! Keeper Bletchley dives, misses...GRYFFINDORS SCORE!"

"Yes!" Sokka cheered, jumping up and down. Gryffindor cheers filled the cold air, with howls and moans from the Slytherins. Next to Sokka, Ron was telling Toph something, making her give Aang and Harry the thumbs-up while Katara's blue eyes were shining with pride for Aang.

"Budge up there. Move along."

"Hagrid!" Ron and Hermione squeezed together to give the giant some space to join them. Sokka watched with a small smile as Zuko did a double look at Hagrid's size before introducing himself and turning back to a game. He seemed to not be a match for this behemoth.

Hagrid patted a large pair of binoculars around his neck and said, "Bin watchin' from me hut. But it isn't the same as bein' in the crowd. No sign of the Snitch yet, eh?"

"Nope," Ron said. "Harry hasn't had much to do yet."

Toph nodded. "He's just circling in the air...Ron told me that."

"Kept outta trouble, though. That's somethin'," Hagrid said, raising his binoculars and peering skyward at the speck that was Harry. "What abou' Aang?"

"Also keeping out of trouble," Katara said. "I just hope they don't get hurt. Do people get killed in Quidditch?"

Seamus, who was beside them, replied, "I don't think so. They usually get injured...quite often."

Way up above them, Harry was gliding over the game, squinting about for some sign of the Snitch. When Angelina had scored, Harry had done a couple of loop-the-loops while Aang spun slowly around him. Now he was back to staring around for the Snitch. Once a Bludger decided to come pelting their way; Sokka was strongly reminded of the cannonballs the Fire Nation used to throw at them. But Harry and Aang dodged it in time, and Fred Weasley came chasing after it.

"All right there, you two?" he called as he beat the Bludger furiously toward Marcus Flint.

"Slytherin in possession," Lee Jordan was saying. "Chaser Pucey ducks two Bludgers, two Weasleys, and Chaser Bell, and speeds toward the...wait a moment! Was that the Snitch?"

A murmur ran through the crowd as Adrian Pucey dropped the Quaffle, too busy looking over his shoulder at the flash of gold that had passed his left ear. Then Sokka saw Harry and Aang dive downward; they must have found the Snitch. Slytherin Seeker Terence Higgs had seen it, too, for neck and neck, they hurtled toward the Snitch. The Chasers seemed to forget what they were supposed to be doing as they hung in midair to watch.

Harry and Aang were faster than Higgs. They put on an extra spurt of speed...but then it quickly got ugly. Marcus Flint had blocked Harry on purpose and used a club to knock Aang's glider away from him. Harry's broom spun off course as he hung on for dear life. Aang was flailing about in the air as he tried to AirBend the staff back to him.

"Foul!" screamed the Gryffindors.

"AANG!" Katara yelled. Sokka could see terror for Aang and anger at Flint in his sister's eyes.

Madam Hooch shouted angrily to Flint and ordered a free shot at the goal posts for Gryffindor. But in all the confusion, of course, the Golden Snitch had disappeared from sight once again.

Next to Seamus, Dean Thomas was yelling, "Send him off, ref! Red card!"

"What's a red card?" Sokka asked.

"Yeah. What are you talking about, Dean?" Ron added.

"Red card!" Dean told them furiously. "In football, you get shown the red card and you're out of the game!"

Sokka nodded. "That's good and all, but...what in the name of the spirits is football?"

Dean replied, "It's a Muggle game where you kick a ball around. I'm Muggle-born, you see," he added at the confused look on Sokka's face.

"But this isn't football, Dean," Ron reminded him.

Hagrid, however, was on Dean's side. "They oughta change the rules. Flint coulda knocked Harry outta the air."

"I agree too," Katara hissed, glaring up at Flint. "And not only that, but he could've killed Aang!"

"That's one thing I dislike about these sports," Zuko added. "They try to cheat even at the cost of their honor."

Sokka just scooted away from Katara and Zuko when they said that. No matter how gentle and kind Katara could be, she was still a force to be reckoned with if she got angry. And as for Zuko, since he was a FireBender, it would be natural for him to get angry easily.

Lee Jordan was finding it difficult not to take sides as he swore, "So after that obvious and disgusting bit of cheating-"

"Jordan!" McGonagall growled.

"I mean, after that open and revolting foul-"

"Jordan, I'm warning you-!"

"All right, all right. Flint nearly kills the Gryffindor Seeker, which could happen to anyone, I'm sure, so a penalty to Gryffindor, taken by Spinner, who puts it away, no trouble, and we continue play, Gryffindor still in possession."

It was as Harry dodged another Bludger, which went spinning perilously past his head, that it happened. His broom gave a sudden frightening lurch, making him yelp a bit. Aang turned to see what was going on, but his glider started shaking a bit.

"What's going on?" Katara asked nervously.

For a split second, he looked he was going to fall. But just in time, he gripped the broom tightly with both his hands and knees and tried to get back up. But then...it happened again. It looked like the broom was trying to buck him off.

"What're you waiting for? Get your butt to the ground, Harry!" Toph shouted; Katara had told her what was going on.

Sokka watched Harry try to turn back toward the Gryffindor goal-posts... but his broom was now completely out of control. He couldn't turn it or direct it at all. It was zigzagging through the air and often making violent swishing movements that almost unseated him. As for Aang, he had gotten his glider back into control, but there was nothing he could do to help Harry.

Lee was still reviewing the match. "Slytherin in possession. Flint with the Quaffle...passes Spinnet...passes Bell...hit hard in the face by a Bludger! Hope it broke his nose...only joking, Professor! Slytherins score...oh no..."

The Slytherins were cheering to Team Avatar's anger. No one except them and Harry's friends seemed to have noticed that Harry's broom was behaving strangely. It was carrying him slowly higher and away from the game, jerking and twitching as it went.

"Dunno what Harry thinks he's doing," Hagrid mumbled, staring through his binoculars. "If I didn' know better, I'd say he'd lost control of his broom. But he can't have."

Suddenly, people were pointing up at Harry all over the stands, making Team Avatar look up. His broom had started to roll over and over, with him only just managing to hold on. Then the whole crowd gasped as Harry's broom gave a wild jerk and Harry swung off it. He was now dangling from it, holding on with only one hand.

"NO!" Team Avatar called. Katara's shout was the loudest, and it appeared that Aang was saying it quietly as he circled frantically around Harry.

"Did something happen to it when Flint blocked him?" Seamus whispered.

"Can't have," Hagrid said, his voice shaking. "Can't nothing interfere with a broomstick except powerful Dark magic. No kid could do that to a Nimbus Two Thousand!"

At these words, Hermione seized Hagrid's binoculars, but instead of looking up at Harry, she started looking frantically at the crowd. Sokka and Ron turned to face her, confused of what she was doing.

"What are you doing?" Ron asked, gray-faced.

"I knew it," Hermione gasped. "Snape...look."

Team Avatar turned to see Snape in the middle of the stands opposite them. He had his eyes fixed on Harry and was muttering nonstop under his breath.

Katara murmured, "What's he doing?

Hermione replied, "He's doing something: jinxing the broom."

Zuko narrowed his amber eyes. "He appears to be muttering something. I think you might be right about him."

"What should we do?" Ron asked.

"Leave it to me," Hermione whispered back. "Sokka and Zuko, come with me. I'll need your help."

Sokka came forth to say, "Got it. I know a few tricks up my sleeve to help you guys out."

Hermione nodded. "Okay. But do something when I signal for you to."

Before Ron could say another word, Hermione, Sokka, and Zuko slipped away and into the ground. As the three of them slunk through the crowd, Sokka turned back to see Harry in the game. His broom was vibrating so hard, it was almost impossible for him to hang on much longer. The whole crowd was on its feet, watching and terrified, as the Weasley Twins flew up to try and pull Harry safely onto one of their brooms, but it was no good. Every time they got near him, the broom would jump higher still. They dropped lower and circled beneath him, obviously hoping to catch him if he fell.

And as for Aang, he tried to do the same thing the Weasley twins tried to do. But instead of flying higher, the broom turned around and whacked him in the face with its end. Aang fell a few feet, a stripe of blood beneath his nose, but he readjusted himself and circled around Harry faster.

"That's good, at least he won't..." Sokka began to say.

Marcus Flint seized the Quaffle and scored five times without anyone noticing. Sokka frowned at this and muttered, "...of course. The cowardly weasel snake."

Hermione, Sokka, and Zuko fought their way across to the stand where Snape stood and were now racing along the row behind him. They didn't even stop to say sorry as they knocked Quirrell over headfirst into the row in front. Sokka suddenly had an urge to not feel sorry for this guy; he had a feeling this guy was nothing but trouble, but he couldn't find any proof.

Reaching Snape, Hermione bent down, pulled out her wand, and whispered a few well-chosen words. Bright blue flames shot out from her wand and onto Snape's robes. And as for Zuko, he quietly rubbed his hands together until he a spark of flame appeared at his fingertips. Then, with a nod from Hermione, the Fire Lord shot the flame at Snape's robes.

"I take it that you two didn't need my help then?" Sokka asked indignantly.

"You were acting rather like the bodyguard, so you actually WERE helping," Hermione whispered back.

This made Sokka grin.

It took perhaps thirty seconds for Snape to realize that he was on fire. A sudden yelp told them that they had done their job. Scooping the fire off him into a little jar in her pocket, Hermione scrambled back along the row, Sokka and Zuko after her; Snape would never know what had happened. It was enough for them, for up in the air, Harry was suddenly able to clamber back on to his broom.

"Neville, you can look!" Ron was saying, for Neville had been bawling into Hagrid's jacket for the last five minutes.

Harry was speeding toward the ground when the crowd saw him clap his hand to his mouth as though he was about to be sick. He hit the field on all fours and began coughing. This caused some shocked gasps, including from Aang, who was landing beside him and giving him a worried look.

"Looks like he's gonna get sick!" Zuko exclaimed, his eyes narrowing.

"This won't be good," Toph said. When they gave her weird looks (for she had acted a bit unlike herself, she added, "The puking's fine...but not what's gonna come out."

But just when Toph said that, something golden fell into Harry's hand. Sokka saw the tiny fluttering wings and didn't need to be told of what that was.

"I don't believe it!" Aang was calling towards Harry, his unique smile spreading onto his face. "You caught the Snitch with your mouth!"

Harry nodded, and everyone laughed and cheered. "I've got the Snitch!" he shouted, waving it above his head, and the game ended in complete confusion.

"He didn't catch it! He nearly _swallowed_ it," Flint was still howling twenty minutes later.

But it made no difference, thankfully; Harry hadn't broken any rules, and Lee Jordan was still happily shouting the results. Gryffindor had won by one hundred and seventy points to sixty. This caused the students from Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw to cheer for the winners, Team Avatar chanting "Go, go, Gryffindor!" over and over.

And as Sokka chanted with them, he thought, _Maybe magic isn't that bad after all!_

**...**

To celebrate, Team Avatar and the Golden Trio went over to Hagrid's to have a cup of tea with them. Zuko had been asked to join in, so he did before reminding them that he was staying over for a few more days. Aang hadn't had many injuries in the match except for his bloody nose, so Katara helped him clean it up. The others were talking about the match...and what Snape did.

"It was Snape," Ron was explaining, "Hermione, Sokka, and I saw him. He was cursing your broomstick, muttering. He wouldn't take his eyes off you."

"Rubbish," Hagrid, who hadn't heard what went on next to him in the stands, spoke up. "Why would Snape do somethin' like that?"

Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked at one another, wondering what to tell him. As did Team Avatar. Then Sokka decided to say randomly, "You want the truth? You can't handle the truth!"

But then he saw Harry look at him weirdly, and Sokka realized what had happened. He had just interrupted him before he could say something. So he told him, "Sorry, Harry. Go on ahead."

"Thanks, Sokka," Harry said before turning back to Hagrid. "I found out something about him. He tried to get past that three-headed dog on Halloween. It bit him. We think he was trying to steal whatever it's guarding."

Hagrid dropped the teapot. "How do you know about Fluffy?" he asked.

_"__Fluffy?" _they all exclaimed.

"That thing has a name?" Toph asked with disbelief.

"Yeah, he's mine," Hagrid replied. "Bought him off a Greek chappie I met in the pub las' year. I lent him to Dumbledore to guard the-"

"Yes?" Harry asked eagerly.

Hagrid muttered something before he went on, "Now, don't ask me anymore. That's top secret, that is."

Aang spoke up this time, "But Snape's trying to steal it."

"Rubbish," Hagrid replied again. "Snape's a Hogwarts teacher. He'd do nothin' of the sort."

"So why did he just try and kill Harry?" Hermione asked. The afternoon's events seemed to have changed her mind about Snape. "I know a jinx when I see one, Hagrid. I've read all about them! You've got to keep eye contact, and Snape wasn't blinking at all. I saw him!"

"I saw him too," Zuko added, taking a small sip of tea. "He really wasn't blinking. The only person who doesn't really blink all the time was my father. So I know Snape's doing it."

Hagrid replied hotly, "I'm tellin' yeh, yer wrong! I don' know why Harry's broom acted like that, but Snape wouldn' try an' kill a student!" He sighed and went on, "Now listen to me, all seven of yeh: yer meddlin' in things that don' concern yeh. It's dangerous. You forget that dog, an' you forget what it's guardin'. That's between Professor Dumbledore an' Nicolas Flamel!"

"Aha!" said Harry, "so there's someone called Nicolas Flamel involved, is there?"

Hagrid looked furious with himself before he went on bustling about for something else. So that Hagrid wouldn't notice, Sokka lowered his voice and whispered, "Where do you think this Flamel guy is at?"

Katara shrugged. "I have no idea. I guess we'll have to figure that out on our own."

_**To be continued...**_

**...**

**AvatarCat12: Thank God this chapter's done and over with! And I hope you guys are happy that I brought Zuko back! He might show up later in the story again, but I won't tell you when. All I know is that he'll reappear.**

**Remember, those who read and review will get a prize of some sort. Like for example...a virtual plush of the Nimbus Two Thousand. Flames will NOT and NEVER WILL BE allowed on this story. The flames that get onto here will be used to make some S'Mores. Advice and constructive criticism, however, are welcome anytime.**

**As for the next chapter...I think I might let you all decide on that. As long as I try to keep the characters intact with their personalities.**

**See ya next time!**


	14. The Winter Surprise

**AvatarCat12: Hey, everyone. So...I'm just deciding to upload another chapter of Avatar Aang And The Sorcerer's Stone. Two things I gotta say first: the first is that this is a slight alternation of the series. The Promise and The Search (which will come out next year) are over on here, and they're beginning a new adventure. And here's the second one.**

**This chapter here...I was inspired to make this by MasterFirebender84. This guy's been known to make very amazing stories of Avatar: The Last AirBender, like romance, drama, adventure, and the likes. He's even made stories like Book 4 Air and The Promise Part 1 (it's what happens before the kickoff of The Promise). So I'm making this chapter to give respect to this fellow FanFiction author and as a tribute to him.**

**But anyways, on with the disclaimer! And this episode is a Christmas special...though this holiday's around four months away.**

**Disclaimer: Michael DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko, and J.K. Rowling are the true owners of Avatar: The Last AirBender and Harry Potter. And warning: there's gonna be plenty of Kataang fluffiness in this chapter.**

**Summary: Christmas is in the air, and Team Avatar are ready for the holidays to begin. And when Sokka's away, Aang and Katara can play. (Wink*wink) But is Katara prepared for Aang's ultimate gift for her?**

**Uploading Date: August 25, 2012**

**Enjoy!**

**...**

_**The Winter Surprise**_

Nearly a month had passed since the Quidditch match and Gryffindor's victory. Aang and Katara couldn't find a better House to party with, since they saw that the Gryffindors partied hard. They had heard rumors that their House had a reputation of being party animals.

Also, sometime after the match, they had heard of this new holiday called Christmas, a holiday they had heard was very joyful. They and their friends had listened to the origins and what they all did on this holiday. Right now, people were signing up for Christmas, Harry included, and they knew why he did so: the Dursleys would not be happy to see him. After their time with those Muggles, they remembered to keep away from them for a while.

Right now, Katara and Aang were leaning against each other under a tree near the lake, watching Gin leap around in the shallows. Katara could feel the chilly wind brush against her face as she felt thankful that she brought along her Water Tribe parka. As for Aang, who was sitting beside her, he was also wearing a parka made for him...but with Air Nomad colors.

"Hey Katara," Aang whispered to her, pressing up against her. "What're you thinking about?"

"Something," the WaterBender simply replied.

But right now, she remembered when she and Aang had first met. She remembered seeing him in the iceberg he trapped himself in for a hundred years and freeing him from it. In some way, she had realized that, after rescuing him, her destiny would twine with his one day. But by becoming his girlfriend, that was unexpected...but it was the best feeling she ever felt.

So finally, she asked Aang, "You remember when you were trapped in the iceberg, Aang? Two years ago? And you remember meeting us the first time ever?"

Aang smiled gently at her, laying his head down in her lap. "Of course I do. The first thing I saw was the most beautiful girl in the world...in fact, the most beautiful ever."

"Oh really?" Katara asked with mock confusion, laying a gentle hand on her boyfriend's cheek. "Who was it?"

"You, Forever Girl," Aang replied happily.

Katara bent her head low to kiss his forehead. "Glad to hear that, Almighty Avatar."

A bark told Aang and Katara that Gin had pulled his head up from under the water, a fish held tight in his jaws. The silver-pelted dog was wagging his curly tail as he padded over towards his master before laying the fish down at the humans' feet.

"Aww, you caught that on your own?" Katara cooed as Gin wagged his tail even more. "You caught that fish on your own? You're such a good boy! Are you a good boy?"

She saw Aang give her a very amused look as he reached over to assist her in patting Gin's broad head. Gin barked in thanks as he ran off towards the water, stirring up a flock of starlings that had landed nearby. This left Katara and Aang alone to smile at this before they started kissing under the tall tree.

It was lucky that their shared body heat cancelled out some of the coldness that seeped around them. Katara let Aang pin her down, his lips warm on hers and his breath gentle and sweet like a warm hut. She groaned as he rubbed his cheek against hers, then she paid him back by turning her head and licking his other cheek. Then she was taken by surprise as he ended up licking her cheek in return before planting his lips onto hers.

"Aang..." Katara groaned as he got down to her neck. "Don't...we're not ready yet..."

"Oh..." Aang's gray eyes were widened at this insight as he pulled his head up. "I-I'm sorry...I didn't know..."

However, Katara smiled up at him. "It's okay. We CAN do this...later on in the future."

The AirBender smiled back down at her before going back to kissing her. She was going to let him continue until she heard a familiar (and quite annoying) voice.

"If you two are gonna continue giving me oogies, at least let me tell you something."

Aang and Katara broke away from each other and blushed. Sokka was staring down at them, a mix of a smile and a frown on his face, as Toph and Hermione stood beside him.

"Sokka, what on earth is so important that you have to tell us here?" Katara asked him in a rather annoyed tone.

Sokka's scowl lightened a bit as he went on, "Sorry. Anyways...Toph, Hermione, and I were one of the few to sign up about going home for Christmas. I was wondering if you two are coming home too."

Toph nodded. "Yeah. And he said if you don't wanna come, that's fine."

Katara slipped out from under Aang and stood up, leaning against the tree and looking towards the lake. She had not thought about going back to the Southern Water Tribe for Christmas, for she had not seen her family for a few months. But then she realized something: soon would be two years since she had first met Aang, the day when their destinies became intertwined.

_So my answer is..._

"Aang and I are going to stay here for Christmas," she told Sokka. "Believe me, I'd love to go back home and spend time with Dad and Gran-Gran, but...it'll be two years since we found Aang. And I want to spend that day with him."

"Well..." Sokka muttered, a very nostalgic look on his face. Katara knew he remembered that day as well when he had accused the Avatar himself of being a Fire Nations spy. "I won't force you, sis, but what about spending time with Dad, Gran-Gran, Pakku, and the others?"

Katara lowered her blue eyes, trying to find the right words. "I do want to, but...I just want Aang and I to remember that day together. And I promise I'll come home for Christmas next year."

Sokka nodded before giving her a hug. "All right. Just be careful, okay? And Aang," he added, giving the Avatar a warning stare. "You better not try and hurt my sister like last time. Got it?"

"Got it," Aang promised seriously.

"Okay. I believe ya, buddy," Sokka replied back, smiling as he ruffled the black hair starting to grow on his head. Then, growing serious again, he added, "But seriously, I'm not kidding when I say don't hurt my sister."

Aang nodded quickly.

"One more thing," Hermione spoke up. "What is the Southern Water Tribe like?"

While the Water Tribe siblings told her about their home, Katara realized she DID feel a little bit homesick. She really missed her family and friends back at home in their world, not to mention helping other kids at home how to WaterBend. But she knew that Aang would be beside her, and they could take care of each other and themselves.

**...**

A week had passed since Sokka and Toph went back to the Avatar world, promising to write to Aang and Katara whenever they could. Speaking of those two, they had written back to their world, Katara writing to her family and sending them some gifts and Aang doing the same for his friends and handling Avatar business through letters. They now felt right at home in Hogwarts, though they did not forget about their world.

They spent most of their time together, either talking or kissing, and they also spent some time in the Gryffindor common room. While in there, they would join Harry and Ron in hanging out at the fireplace, telling them about their world and other stuff. Plus, when Harry and Ron began talking about funny ways to get Malfoy expelled (though that would not work), Katara joined in by coming up with funny ways to get Pansy Parkinson expelled as well. Even though she did not want to kill the pug-face, she wanted to give her what was coming to her.

Not only that, but they also spent time trying to find out about this Nicolas Flamel person Hagrid talked about. They had asked McGonagall if they could have a ticket to the restricted section in the library and searched there. But no matter how hard they tried to search, they did not find anything about Flamel.

"How hard is it to find a guy by his name?" Aang asked one morning at breakfast.

"I don't know," Katara replied. "But remember, Aang: we only found out recently about him. Let's wait until next time to find him again."

Aang nodded, and they turned to find Harry and Ron playing a game very similar to Pai Sho except..._the pieces were moving. _Harry had just ordered a chess piece to move to a certain spot, and Ron did the same for his chess piece. Ron's piece (a red queen) knocked down Harry's marble-white knight.

Katara winced at this. "That looks a bit disturbing."

"That's wizard's chess," Ron told her proudly. Looking over at the notes in the Benders' hands, he remarked, "I see you've looked up on Flamel."

"And I see you haven't," Katara replied. "When are you going to?"

"Probably when Hermione comes back," Harry spoke up. "You know how she is at this stuff."

All four stood in total silence except Neville exclaiming that Trevor leapt under the table. Then Aang asked, "So how does wizard's chess work?"

Ron explained, "You know...it's chess wizard style."

"Reminds me of Pai Sho," Aang murmured in reply. "I wish we brought a game of it over here."

"Pai Sho?" Neville asked, coming up from under the tunnel with Trevor in his hands. "What's that?"

Remembering Zuko's uncle Iroh's love for the game and his wisdom about it, Katara decided to explain the rules. "It's like a board game from our world. In this game, we learn to find an opening in our foe's weaknesses and strike with craftiness and honor."

This made Neville just stare slack-jawed at her, looking confused. So Aang put in, "It's kinda like chess. You make your moves, and the other player or players arrange the pieces around to resemble a lotus flower."

"A lotus flower?" Harry asked. "Why a lotus flower?"

"Friends of ours had always used lotus flowers in their work," Katara said. "But anyways, what were you saying about dragons in this...Romania place?"

**...**

Katara was having a dream of her and Aang enjoying Christmas Day together when she felt something wake her up. She and Aang had decided to pull off searching for Nicolas Flamel. She had dreamed of her friends and family coming around together and celebrate when she saw an unfamiliar figure. But the blue eyes...she thought she saw them before.

Anyways, she felt a warm tongue begin licking her cheek, thinking it was Aang. But...this tongue was rather rough and quick, not smooth and gentle. When Katara opened her eyes and looked up, she saw Gin standing above her, his brown eyes friendly as he barked.

"Good morning, Gin," she greeted her dog, gently ruffling the fur on his head. "It's early in the morning. What is it?"

Gin leapt off her bed and padded towards the door, scratching at it a bit while looking back at her. Smiling, she got up from her bed while dressed in white nightclothes, stretched a bit, and walked over to open the door. She expected Gin to stay beside her, but he instead dashed on ahead to the bottom of the stairs that led into the common room. Thinking Gin had to go outside, Katara followed her dog down the stairs, watching Appa fly slowly outside the window.

"Okay, Gin! Okay!" she giggled as Gin stood up on his hind legs and laid his large paws on her shoulders, licking her. "You wanna go outside?"

Surprisingly, Gin shook his head.

This took Katara by surprise; she had never seen an animal shake its head to say no. So she asked, "Well then, what do you want?"

Gin stepped away from her, jumped up, and grabbed the doorknob in his jaws, turning it. With a final twist, he had somehow managed to open the door. Noticing him passing through the door, she had no choice but to follow him through the door. And suddenly...she was greeted by a warm pair of lips pressing against hers, surprising her yet falling into the kiss. When the two separated, Katara found herself gazing into Aang's dark stormy gray eyes, filled with joy and amusement.

"Good morning, my amazing Avatar," she purred, laying a hand on his cheek.

"Same to you, my gorgeous goddess," Aang murmured back. "So...it's Christmas Day. So what do you wanna do?"

Katara looked over at where Harry and Ron were, already opening their presents. To Aang, she playfully whined, "Oh Aang! You didn't wake me up to open our presents with them?"

Aang gave her a sheepish smile. "I was waiting until you woke up."

"Oh." Then Katara gently kissed his cheek and said, "Okay then. I forgive you this time."

So the two went over to where Harry and Ron were at, examining a strange cloak. But what they saw next made their jaws drop a bit: when Harry put it on...the rest of his body disappeared. Aang and Katara didn't say anything, but Ron did.

"It is!" he was saying. "It IS an invisibility cloak! And Happy Christmas to you two," he added to Aang and Katara, turning around to greet them.

"You too, Ron," Aang replied, smiling back. "And you too, Harry!"

Harry nodded before he pulled the cloak over his head to make his own reflection vanish completely.

"There's a note!" Ron yelped so suddenly. "A note fell out of it!"

Harry pulled off the cloak and seized the letter. The two Benders came over to see; the letter was written in narrow loopy writing Katara had never seen before. Then the following words made her gasp a bit:

_Your father left this in my possession before he died._

_It is time it was returned to you. __Use it well._

_A Very Happy Christmas to you._

There was no signature. Harry, Katara, and Aang continued looking down at the note while Ron was admiring the cloak.

"I'd give anything for one of these," he was saying. "_Anything. _What's the matter?"

"Nothing," Harry muttered.

Aang and Katara gave Harry a very sympathetic glance before they went to open their own gifts. To Aang, he was given a self-speeding dial to boost up his glider from Sokka, a piece of some space earth from Toph, an everlasting burning candle from Zuko, a book of proverbs and sayings from Iroh, and a Water Tribe parka from Katara. And Katara herself had gotten a wooden flute from her brother (who made it by himself), a Northern Water Tribe snow globe from Toph, an orange-&-yellow Water Tribe parka from Zuko, and...a necklace from Aang.

"Wow..." Katara murmured, carefully putting the necklace around it as it joined her mother's necklace. It was white with a golden tag, the Water Tribe symbol on the front. She gave Aang a warm hug, saying, "Thank you, Aang! That's so sweet!"

"No problem," Aang replied back, smiling as they kissed gently. "I just like to see you be happy."

Before Katara could say or think anything else, the dormitory door was flung open, and Fred and George Weasley sprung in. They were wearing blue sweaters, one with a large yellow F and the other a G. Harry stuffed the cloak quickly out of sight; Katara felt he didn't like sharing it with anyone else yet.

"Happy Christmas!" George called. The Benders smiled at the twins in return as they greeted him, Harry following suit.

"Hey, look! Harry's got a Weasley sweater too!" To the Benders, Fred asked, "Didn't you get one from Mum?"

Aang shook his head. "Nah. I guess we hadn't introduced ourselves to her yet."

"Ah...but you should soon." Fred then held up Harry's new sweater, green with a letter H on it. "Harry's is better than ours, though. She obviously makes more of an effort if you're not family."

"Why aren't you wearing yours, Ron?" George demanded. "Come on, get it on! They're lovely and warm."

Ron moaned halfheartedly as he pulled it over his head. "I hate maroon."

"Come on," Katara told him playfully, putting on her new parka. "It won't hurt!"

"You haven't got a letter on yours," George added. "I suppose she thinks you don't forget your name. But we're not stupid; we know we're called Gred and Forge. Right, Gred?" he added, winking at his twin.

"Right, Forge!" Fred replied, winking back.

Katara and Aang shared an amused look. These twins sure lifted up some school spirit like Sokka would do.

"What's all this noise?" Percy Weasley stuck his head through the door, looking stern. He had gotten halfway through unwrapping his presents as he, too, carried an unsmooth sweater over his arm, which Fred seized.

"P for prefect!" he cheered. "Get it on, Percy! Come on, we're all wearing ours! Even Harry got one."

"I...don't...want..." Percy muttered thickly as the twins forced the sweater over his head. This just resulted in knocking his glasses crooked.

"And you're not sitting with the prefects today, either," George added. "Christmas is a time for family."

So they frog-marched Percy from the room, his arms pinned to his side by his sweater. The other four Gryffindors watched them go, sharing amused looks as they explored more of their presents. Momo and Gin joined them, having also received some presents, Momo getting a rubber ball they had seen a cat play with and Gin getting a large bone. Outside the window, they could see Appa playing around with his new bison-sized blue ball.

**...**

Aang and Katara had never in all their lives had such a Christmas dinner; in fact, it was the only one. A hundred fat roast turkeys, mountains of roast and boiled potatoes, platters of chipolatas, tureens of buttered peas, and silver boats of thick rich gravy and cranberry sauce were all laid out on the table. Now only that, but there were stacks of wizard crackers every few feet along it.

So while they ate, Aang and Katara pulled on a wizard cracker together, and it didn't just bang; it went off with a blast like a cannon and engulfed them in a cloud of blue smoke. From the inside exploded a rear admiral's hat (which Aang tried on, to Katara's amusement) and some live white mice. At the High Table, Dumbledore had swapped his pointed wizard's hat for a flowered cap, chuckling merrily at a joke Professor Flitwick just read him.

Flaming Christmas puddings followed the turkey, and Percy nearly broke his teeth on a silver sickle fixed in his slice. Katara watched Hagrid getting redder and redder in the face as he called for more wine, finally kissing McGonagall on the cheek. Then, to Katara and Aang's surprise, she giggled and blushed, her top hat lopsided.

When the two lovers finally left the table, they were loaded with things out of the crackers, including a pack of non-explodable luminous balloons, a Grow-Your-Own-Warts kit, and a new Pai Sho set. The white mice went away, and Katara guessed they were going to end up as Mrs. Norris's Christmas dinner...if Momo didn't fight her, of course.

The Benders, Harry, and the Weasleys spent a good afternoon having a snowball fight on the grounds. Katara recalled Aang asking her to penguin-slide with her when they met, so they did so...with Appa! When they returned to the common room (cold, wet, and gasping for breath), Katara and Aang tried out the new Pai Sho game, where Aang won. Katara guessed her Avatar boyfriend had been hanging around with Iroh to get a few tips.

After some snacks, everyone felt too full and sleepy to do much before bed except watch Percy chase Fred and George all over Gryffindor tower because they stole his prefect badge. It had been the best Christmas day ever for Aang and Katara...actually, it was the only one they had.

And as she tiredly watched Aang ruffle Appa's head (at the window) before going off to sleep, Katara realized she was too tired to move from the sofa. So she wearily closed her eyes and fell asleep.

**...**

"Open your eyes..."

So Katara opened her eyes and gasped at the scenery before her. It was beautiful: the area was pure white with snow that was warm and didn't melt, icy blue water pouring down into a small pool from a waterfall, and snowflakes glittering from the frosty trees. Not only that, but there were also a few mink stags nearby, their weasel-like antlered heads looking up at her as they grazed.

And sitting near a grazing doe at the pool...was Aang. He was giving her the warmest smile he had ever given her. Her heart beating at him looking unsurprised, she ambled up to him as he gently wrapped his arms around her.

"So...do you like it?" Aang asked her, his breath warm against her ear.

"Yes...it's so beautiful..." Katara could only murmur, looking around. "Did...did you make all this by yourself?"

Aang nodded, gently kissing her lips. "Well...some of it. I had help from a friend. But she told me she was a friend, though I couldn't see her."

Katara pulled away, thinking he was meeting another girl. "What? Who is she?"

"I am that friend."

They both turned around to see a lone figure standing underneath the largest frozen tree. This woman looked so much like Katara (the same hair and eye color), but she looked a bit older. In fact, she looked old enough to be her mother.

_Wait...that's..._

"Mom!" Katara gasped.

Kya nodded, so Katara rushed over to her right away and quickly hugged her, which she gently returned. She could not believe this; she was seeing her mother for the first time in years. Her own mother...was here in the Spirit World all along.

"It's so great to see you again! I missed you so much!" Katara rasped, feeling tears leaking from her eyes. Turning to Aang, she asked, "Did you know she helped out?"

Aang, who looked happy yet surprised at the same time, shook his head. "N-No. I only heard her voice, but she didn't show herself. But this...it's a miracle!"

"I was waiting until the right time to see you, dear," Kya whispered to her daughter. "And I believe right now was. I'm also happy you and Aang are together, and I give you two my blessing. I'm so proud of you and Sokka and how you've grown over the years."

Katara looked up into her mother's blue eyes. "Are you going to come around Hogwarts as a spirit?"

Kya shook her head. "I'm sorry...but no. The spirits in different worlds work in different ways. Here, in our world, our spirits come here in the spirit world. Our spirits belong here where we watch over those we leave behind. In their spirit world...they either choose to leave their spirits behind or ascend to a higher place. A greater place."

"I've heard something like that before," Aang added. "It does sound like a good place to go. And what about Harry's parents? Are they here?"

"Sometimes," Kya replied. "But you'll see them someday."

"Yeah..." Katara hugged her mother again and whispered, "Mom...why did you have to die? W-Why...why couldn't you be there with us?"

At this, she buried her face into her chest and broke down as Kya held her tight to her. Aang was watching a bit away from them, a sad smile on his face and a few tears in his gray eyes.

"I'm sorry I made you feel that way, Katara," Kya murmured. "But I wanted to protect you and your brother from the Fire Nation. You see...everything in the world has its seasons. Where one thing falls, another will grow. Maybe not what was there before, but something new and wonderful nevertheless."

Katara nodded, looking up at her and feeling tears run down her cheeks. "I know, but...I just felt so alone without you in our lives."

Her mother smiled sadly down at her. "I am always with you, my daughter. Even if I'm not there by your side, I will be there." Looking around, she added, "It's time for me to go. Besides, you two need your sleep."

"Will we see you again?" Katara asked urgently. She wanted to let Sokka see their mother, and she wondered if Harry would like to see her.

"Of course you will," Kya replied, kissing her forehead gently. "I love you and Sokka, and I will visit anyway I can. And Aang..." she added, turning to face the Avatar, "...do take care of my daughter, please?"

"I will," Aang promised truthfully.

With one more sad smile, the kindly Southern Water Tribe woman vanished into thin air.

Katara looked over to Aang, who had watched Kya disappear, before she walked weakly over to him and hugged him tight. Her boyfriend did the same, and she relished in his warm grasp, kind heart, and gentle scent. When they split apart, they looked into each other's eyes.

"Aang...you didn't have to do all this," Katara rasped.

"But I wanted to do it...to make sure you're happy," Aang said with a smile. "I'd do anything to make you happy. And let me tell you this: I didn't know your mother was coming here tonight...but I'm happy you liked this surprise."

Katara smiled at him in return. "Liked it? I LOVED it! Just as I love you," she added, kissing him.

Her AirBending boyfriend cheerfully replied, "And I love you too. I always have, and I always will, my Forever Girl."

As they continued kissing, they laid down together on the warm snow, relishing in feeling it fly up when they collapsed together. They smiled to each other before Katara leaned down towards Aang and kissed him gently on the cheek. When he looked up at her, she leaned back down to kiss him on the lips this time as she pinned him down. The young WaterBender felt his tongue slip into her mouth and greeted it with her own tongue, savoring the flavor of his lips. As they kissed like this, Katara felt Aang's arm wrap softly around her waist and pull her closer.

They finished their kissing and looked into each other's eyes again. Blue and gray gazed into each other as if they didn't want to leave each other's sights.

"You know..." Aang said, blushing, "...we can come here again for your birthday. Sorry if I ruined the surprise."

"It's okay," Katara giggled, one arm around his neck. "As long as we're together, any surprise will be fine with me." Then she felt rather tired as she rasped, "Morning's fixing to come, Aang. I think we better leave this dream and come back later. See you in the real world?"

Aang nodded and kissed her. "I love you, Katara."

Katara leaned up to rub her cheek against his. "I love you too, Aang. Well...good-night," she added, laying down gently in the snow.

She felt Aang scoot over next to her and wrap his arms around her, making her snuggle closer to his warm body. This had been the best gift he had ever given her.

_**To be continued...**_

**...**

**AvatarCat12: Just to let you know, folks, the last part was all in a dream in the Spirit World. MasterFirebender84, I hope you read this. This chapter was a tribute to you, my friend. In fact, your stories had inspired me to create this crossover story and keep it going. Thank you!**

**In fact, here's a list of authors that inspire me: Light-Eco-Sage, MasterFirebender84, FrodoTheHutt, Canada Cowboy, and a few more.**

**But anyways, before I say the preview for Nicholas Flamel, here's the review thing. So like before, read and review, those who do will get a virtual Kataang plush doll or a virtual packet of gummy sea prunes (Don't worry; they're grape.). I don't allow flames on here or they'll be used to make S'Mores. I DO allow advice and constructive criticism. And if I'm not making their personalities right, PM me and I'll fix it.**

**Preview: The two teams are back together, and they still try to find out about Nicholas Flamel. Malfoy and Pansy try to cause some more trouble, making Toph snap at one point. And will Team Avatar help Harry get ready for the next Quidditch match?**

**See ya next time!**


	15. Nicolas Flamel

**AvatarCat12: Well, here we are, folks! The chapter that's before the main plot of this story! And to let you know, I'll be doing a sequel after this story is done and over with.**

**But anyways, I'm up in Pennsylvania now, but there's some Internet at my aunt's house. In the meantime, I'm also working on my other FanFics and hope to upload them really soon. But I hope you all like this chapter and the others once the Internet works well up here. So at the end of this FanFic, I'll give certain clues about what will happen in the next FanFic: Avatar Aang And The Chamber Of Secrets.**

**But anyways, it's time for the disclaimer!**

**Disclaimer: I will never own Avatar: The Last AirBender or Harry Potter. They both belong to Michael DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko, and J.K. Rowling.**

**Summary: The second game of Quidditch is coming up soon, and everyone's getting very excited! Meanwhile, Team Avatar and the Golden Trio try to find information on Nicolas Flamel, and if they do, what secrets will they discover? And what kind of trouble will spring up at the upcoming Quidditch match?**

**Uploading Date: October 19, 2012**

**Enjoy!**

**...**

_**Nicholas Flamel**_

"So you've been visiting this Mirror for how many nights now?"

"Only three."

Toph and Sokka had returned to Hogwarts after Christmas break to hear Harry's tale; Sokka and Katara had already celebrated their birthdays, and Toph's was a bit near. When the next class for Hufflepuff and Gryffindor came along, Harry had told Toph about the Mirror Of Erised, a magic mirror that showed one their desires. She thought it was freaky when he told her about the nightmares he had been having about it.

"You see, Dumbledore was right," Ron was saying when he heard of this. "That mirror could drive you mad."

"True that," Toph replied. "Too freaky if you ask me."

Hermione, who had come back the day before term started, took a different view of things. She was torn between horror at the idea of Harry being out of bed, roaming the school three nights in a row, and disappointment that he hadn't found out who Nicolas Flamel was. She was also a bit miffed at Sokka and Toph for not searching him up at the library.

At one point after hearing her complain, Toph had snorted, "Hermione, seriously? What's wrong with you? I'm freakin' BLIND!"

They had almost given up hope of ever finding Flamel in a library book even though Toph heard Harry say he had heard it before. Once term had started, they were back to scanning through a few books for ten minutes during their breaks. Harry and Aang even less time than the other two, for Quidditch practice had started again. But Flamel wasn't the only problem.

**...**

Wood was working the Gryffindor team (and Aang) harder than ever. Even the endless rain that replaced the snow couldn't dampen his spirits. The Weasley twins complained that Wood was becoming a fanatic, but Aang saw sense in what the Captain was saying. If they won their next match against Hufflepuff, they would beat Slytherin in the house championship. Apart from taking care of Appa and Momo, tending to Avatar business through letter, and spending time with Katara, Aang didn't find a problem with some hard work.

But then, during a wet and muddy practice session, Wood gave the team some bad news. He had just gotten angry with the Weasley twins, who kept dive-bombing and pretending to fall off their brooms.

"Will you stop messing around?!" he yelled. "That's exactly the sort of thing that'll lose us the match! Snape's refereeing this time, and he'll be looking for any excuse to knock points off Gryffindor!"

George Weasley really DID fall off his broom at these words. "_Snape's_ refereeing?" he spluttered through a mouthful of mud. "When's he ever refereed a Quidditch match? He's not going to be fair if we might overtake Slytherin!"

The rest of the team landed next to George to complain too. Aang didn't protest about this much, for he was a little bit acceptable about Snape; after all, the Potions master had already punished Malfoy and Pansy for making Katara cry and insulting Kya's memory. But still, it was better to keep a sharp lookout for him after what happened in the last match.

Wood glared over the team. "It's not _my_ fault. We've just got to make sure we play a clean game, so Snape hasn't got an excuse to pick on us."

"So we'll work harder," Aang spoke up. "We'll work hard and let Snape know that we can play fair in his eyes."

The rest of the team didn't look comfortable about that, but they all nodded a bit at what he said. Even Wood, though he was the Captain, seemed to be nodding.

The rest of the team hung back to talk to one another at the end of practice, but Harry and Aang headed back to the Gryffindor common room, where they found Ron and Hermione playing a game of chess. Chess was the only thing Hermione ever lost at, something everyone thought was very good for her.

Toph and Sokka seemed to have been invited into the common room, for no one was giving them any mistrustful looks; Sokka was fooling around with Momo while Toph was lazily chewing on an apple. Finally, Katara was near the fireplace doing some homework, stroking Gin's fur often as his tail wagged against a fireside chair. She was wearing the Muggle clothes she wore at the Dursleys, the skirt revealing her smooth slender legs.

"How was practice, sweetie?" Katara asked Aang, kissing him lightly as he approached her.

"It was fine, sweetheart, apart from the rain," Aang replied, kissing her back. "But I got some bad news."

Sokka was looking towards them as they kissed, growling, "Seriously? You guys REALLY have to give me the oogies in front of everyone? And what bad news?"

Aang turned to him while Katara rolled her eyes. "Snape's going to referee the next match."

"What?" Toph spoke up, getting up quickly as Sokka looked freaked out. "Why?"

"I have no idea," Aang told her. "But I do know this: we gotta play fair if we don't want points taken off of Gryffindor. We have to show him we can play well in the Quidditch field."

No one spoke for a few minutes. Then... "That doesn't sound fair," Toph growled. "But if it's to show Snape who's the man, sure."

Aang nodded. He had been working hard as the "protective Bludger" for the team ever since September, and he did not want to waste it against Snape's bigotry. However, if Dumbledore would arrive to see the match, then things would go okay.

At that moment Neville toppled into the common room. How he had managed to climb through the portrait hole, Aang didn't know, because his legs were stuck together with what he saw at once as the Leg-Locker Curse, something he saw in Defense Against The Dark Arts. He must have had to hop all the way up to Gryffindor tower.

Everyone fell over laughing except Hermione, who leapt up and performed the countercurse. While the people in the room had laughed, Katara snapped at them, "It's not funny!" Neville's legs sprang apart as he got to his feet, trembling. Aang felt sorry for him even more now.

"What happened?" Hermione asked him, leading him over to sit with Harry and Ron.

"Malfoy," Neville replied shakily. "I met him outside the library. He said he'd been looking for someone to practice that on."

Quickly, Team Avatar raced over to sit with the Golden Trio, hearing Neville's tail Toph gave a low growl as she grumbled, "That little weasel-snake. He's just getting meaner and meaner."

"Go to Professor McGonagall!" Hermione urged Neville. "Report him!"

Neville shook his head.

So Katara asked, "Why? Why don't you want to report Malfoy?"

He mumbled, "I don't want more trouble."

"You've got to stand up to him, Neville!" Ron told him sharply. "He's used to walking all over people, but that's no reason to lie down in front of him and make it easier."

"There's no need to tell me I'm not brave enough to be in Gryffindor. Malfoy's already done that," Neville choked out.

"Malfoy's already being a little weasel-snake by treating you like bison dung!" Sokka growled, ignoring Aang giving an indignant "Hey!". "Man up and stand your ground!"

Toph nodded. "Yeah. Look at me, for example. I'm in Hufflepuff, the House of wimps, yet I'm more powerful than them. Kinda like you being in Gryffindor. You just gotta find time to find that spunk in you, that's all."

Neville looked like he was going to cry due to the heartwarming moment. To finish it off, Harry handed him a Chocolate Frog he got for Christmas and said, "You're worth twelve of Malfoy. The Sorting Hat chose you for Gryffindor, didn't it? And where's Malfoy? In stinking Slytherin."

At this, Neville's lips twitched in a weak smile as he unwrapped the frog. "Thanks, Harry...and you too, Toph. I think I'll go to bed." After a moment of silence, he handed a wizard card to Harry and asked, "Do you want the card? You collect them, don't you?"

As Neville walked away, Aang gave a small sigh and shared looks with his friends. Sokka and Toph weren't the most spiritual of the group, but when it came to giving someone advice, they could give it to a person quite well. As for Harry, that sounded just right to him now.

"Dumbledore again," Harry was saying, looking at the wizard card. "He was the first one I ever-"

But then, he gasped. He stared at the back of the card and looked up at his friends. "I've found him!" he whispered. "I've found Flamel! I told you I'd read the name somewhere before; I read it on the train coming here. Listen to this: 'Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel'!"

"Whoa!" Aang gasped. "I...never thought of looking there before!"

"I've seen the name on there before," Sokka added. When they gave him shocked glances, he retorted, "Don't stare at me like that! I didn't know it was important back then!"

Hermione jumped to her feet. She hadn't looked so excited since they got back the grades for their first homework assignment.

"Stay there!" she said and ran up the stairs to the girls' dormitories. The rest of them barely had time to swap puzzled looks when she was back, a big old book in her arms. "I never thought to look in here!" she whispered excitedly. "I got this out of the library weeks ago for a bit of light reading."

"Light?" Ron asked.

Sokka gave a snort of amusement. "Doesn't look light to me."

Hermione told him to be quiet and started flicking frantically through the pages, muttering to herself. At last she seemed to find what she was looking for. "I knew it! I knew it!"

"Are we allowed to speak yet?" Ron asked grumpily, but Hermione ignored him.

"Nicolas Flamel..." she whispered dramatically, "...is the only known maker of the Sorcerer's Stone!"

Katara looked down curiously at the book. "The Sorcerer's Stone? What's that?"

"The what?" Harry and Ron asked.

"Oh, honestly, don't you two read?" Hermione sighed. "At least someone is interested enough. But look...read that there."

She pushed the book toward them, and the two teams read:

_The ancient study of alchemy is concerned with making the Sorcerer's Stone, a legendary substance with astonishing powers. The stone will transform any metal into pure gold. It also produces the Elixir of Life, which will make the drinker immortal._

_There have been many reports of the Sorcerer's Stone over the centuries, but the only Stone currently in existence belongs to Mr. Nicolas Flamel, the noted alchemist and opera lover. Mr. Flamel, who celebrated his six hundred and sixty-fifth birthday last year, enjoys a quiet life in Devon with his wife, Perenelle (six hundred and fifty-eight)._

"Six hundred and sixty-five?!" Toph gasped. "Wow...even badger moles don't live _that_ long!"

Hermione nodded before turning to everyone else. "See? The dog must be guarding Flamel's Sorcerer's Stone! I bet he asked Dumbledore to keep it safe for him because they're friends, and he knew someone was after it. That's why he wanted the Stone moved out of Gringotts!"

"A stone that makes gold and stops you from ever dying!" Harry gasped. "No wonder Snape's after it! Anyone would want it."

Sokka nodded. "Yeah...all that gold from one stone. Sounds awesome to me!"

"And no wonder we couldn't find Flamel in that Study of Recent Developments in Wizardry," Ron added. "He's not exactly recent if he's six hundred and sixty-five, is he?"

**...**

The next morning in Defense Against the Dark Arts, while writing ways of treating werewolf bites, Team Avatar was still talking about what they would do with a Sorcerer's Stone if they had one. Aang wasn't sure what to do with one, but Katara said she would buy them both a house in the Southern Air Temple where Aang used to live. Sokka said he would buy all the weapons he could want, and Toph would build herself a better MetalBending school building for her class.

It wasn't until Sokka said he would buy a mascot costume for the match that Aang remembered about Snape and the coming match.

"Harry and I will play," Aang told his friends. "If we don't, Slytherin will think we're too scared to face Snape. But we'll show them all. It'll really wipe the smiles off their faces if we win."

"Just hope we're not wiping you two off the field," Katara replied, worry on her face.

But as the match drew nearer, though, Aang became more nervous, whatever he told his friends. The rest of the team wasn't too calm about the match, either. The idea of surpassing Slytherin in the house championship was wonderful, for no one had done it for seven years. But how could they win if they had a biased referee?

Aang didn't know if he was imagining it or not, but he seemed to run into Snape wherever he went. At times, he even wondered if Snape was following him, trying to catch him on his own. Potions lessons were turning into silent treatment, for Snape had not given a passing nor failing grade to Aang. Could Snape possibly know they had found out about the Sorcerer's Stone? Aang didn't see how he could...yet he sometimes had a feeling that Snape could read minds.

However, as he laid down on Appa's head that night while the bison slept, he knew he had to brave it out like a FireBender and mix it up a bit.

**...**

Aang knew, when they wished him good luck outside the locker rooms the next afternoon, that his friends were wondering if they would see him alive again. This wasn't what you would call comforting, is it? But anyways, Aang had hardly heard a word of Wood's pep talk while Harry pulled on his Quidditch robes and picked up his Nimbus Two Thousand.

_It's going to be a tough one, _the Avatar thought as he let the staff's glider wings slid out. _But we're on the Gryffindor team. We'll show them!_

Meanwhile, Ron, Hermione, and the rest of Team Avatar had found a place in the stands next to Neville, who couldn't understand why they looked so worried, or why they brought their wands to the match. Little did Aang and Harry know that Ron and Hermione had secretly practiced the Leg-Locker Curse. They had gotten the idea from Malfoy using it on Neville and were ready to use it on Snape if he showed any sign of hurting Harry. And Sokka would use his boomerang if that plan failed.

"Don't forget, it's Locomotor Mortis," Hermione muttered as Ron slipped his wand up his sleeve.

"I know," Ron snapped. "Don't nag."

Sokka snorted. "Yeah. It's gonna be easy-peasey!"

"Easy what-now?" Toph asked, raising a brow.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Muggle term meaning easy."

However, Katara didn't say a word; instead, she was looking over at the stands, and Toph could have sworn that she said Dumbledore's name. She pondered over what Old Wizard (that was her nickname for Dumbledore) was doing here in the match. But then again...he was probably there to make sure something bad didn't happen like last time.

"I've never seen Snape look so mean," Ron was telling Hermione. "Look, they're off...ouch!"

"Oh, sorry, Weasley. Didn't see you there."

Toph sighed as she heard the drawl of Draco Malfoy, the dumb chuckles of Crabbe and Goyle, and the shrill shrieking jeering from Pansy Parkinson. She had no idea why these people would always want to pick on them. It seemed so wrong to her.

Sokka glared at Malfoy. "Oh _sure _you are! I don't see any cakes of sorryness or something like that!" he growled in sarcasm.

Ignoring him, Malfoy sneered on, "Wonder how long Potter's going to stay on his broom this time? Anyone want a bet? What about you, Weasley?"

"I got an idea. How about you get my fist smashing your teeth out if you don't shut up?" Toph snarled at him.

Pansy just laughed shrilly as Snape awarded Hufflepuff a penalty because George Weasley had hit a Bludger at a Hufflepuff player. Hermione and Katara, who had their fingers crossed in their laps, were both squinting fixedly at Harry and Aang, who were circling the game like a dragon hawk, looking for the Snitch.

But then, Malfoy began to speak loudly as Hufflepuff was awarded another penalty for no reason at all. Hearing him, Toph was getting grumpier and felt like EarthBending him up to the sky. It would show him.

"You know how I think they choose people for the Gryffindor team?" he was jeering loudly. "It's people they feel sorry for. See, there's Potter, who's got no parents, then there's the Weasleys, who've got no money, and the arrowhead since he's got no nation. You should be on the team, Longbottom; you've got no brains."

Toph felt Neville turn in his seat to face Malfoy and stutter, "I'm worth twelve of you, Malfoy."

The four Slytherins howled with laughter, but Ron, still not daring to take his eyes from the game, said, "You tell him, Neville."

"Good guy," Sokka praised Neville, patting him on his shoulder.

Hearing this, Malfoy sneered, "Longbottom, if brains were gold, you'd be poorer than Weasley, and that's saying something."

Katara finally tore her blue eyes away from the game and snapped, "Malfoy, if _humility_ was gold, you'd be poorer than me, and THAT'S saying something! Quit trying to break Neville down because of who he is!"

"You be quiet, you ugly peasant!" Pansy snapped, her ugly face distorting.

Toph couldn't see her now, but Katara's mouth was curving into a snarl at those insults. She could tell that she and Pansy were now becoming bitter enemies. Ron, after hearing the jibe thrown at him, snapped, "I'm warning you, Malfoy...one more word..."

"Ron! Toph!" Hermione suddenly gasped. "Harry and Aang are diving!"

"What? Where?"

At that, Katara and Sokka quickly began explaining it all to Toph. Aang and Harry had suddenly gone into a spectacular dive, which drew gasps and cheers from the crowd. Hermione stood up, her crossed fingers in her mouth, as the two of them streaked toward the ground like a bullet. At that, Sokka jumped to his feet, cheering loudly.

"You're in luck, Weasley!" Malfoy sneered loudly again while Pansy laughed nastily once again. "Potter's obviously spotted some money on the ground!"

"AH SHADDUP!"

At this, Toph stomped the ground hard and smirked with triumph as Pansy soared away from the Quidditch pitch, shrieking her head off. Before Malfoy could get to Toph to attack her, Ron had leapt on top of him, wrestling him to the ground. Neville hesitated, then he and Sokka clambered over the back of their seats to help him out.

"Come on!" Hermione and Katara screamed, leaping onto their seats as Harry and Aang sped straight at Snape. They didn't even notice Malfoy and Ron rolling around under her seat, or the scuffles and yelps coming from Neville, Crabbe, and Goyle. They did hear Sokka snap "Take this! And that! And some of these bad boys right here!", but they ignored that.

Up in the air, Snape turned on his broom just in time to see something scarlet and orange shoot past him, missing him by inches. The next second, Harry pulled out of the dive, his arm raised in triumph with the Snitch clasped in his hand. Aang was next to him, performing some spinning tricks around him.

The stands erupted into a loud cheer as Hermione, who was hugging Katara, shrieked, "Ron! Sokka! Toph! Where are you? The game's over! Harry and Aang won! We've won! We're in the lead!"

"Huh?" Sokka asked, looking up with a bloody nose. He raised an arm in the air and cheered, "Boo-yah! We did it!" Seeing their confused looks since he was a Ravenclaw, he added, "I mean _you_ guys did it! Woo hoo!"

Harry jumped off his broom, a foot from the ground, as Aang leapt down from the air. When Aang reached the ground, he retracted the wings on his glider and looked around, a wide smile coming across his face.

He couldn't believe it. Harry had done it. The game was over; it had barely lasted five minutes. As Gryffindors came spilling onto the field, Aang saw Snape land nearby, white-faced and tight-lipped, but he looked away to see Dumbledore laying a gentle hand onto Harry's shoulder.

"Well done," Dumbledore was telling him quietly. "Nice to see you haven't been brooding about that mirror...been keeping busy...excellent..."

Aang tilted his head to one side. He had heard Harry telling him and his friends about the Mirror of Erised and all it could do. Aang had gone with him just the night after Christmas and was very surprised to see what he had seen in the mirror: he and Katara were grown up together with three children around them. He guessed those three would be their offspring one day.

**...**

Aang and Harry had left the locker room some time later so that Harry could take his broom back to the broom shed. The former couldn't ever remember feeling happy for someone; no one could say Harry was just a famous name any more. The evening air had never smelled so sweet. Aang walked over the damp grass, reliving the last hour in his head, which was a happy blur: all of the Gryffindors were running to lift them to their shoulders while Ron, Hermione, and Team Avatar were in the distance, jumping up and down, as Ron and Sokka were cheering through heavy nosebleeds.

Aang had reached the outskirts of the field and looked up at Hogwarts, its windows glowing red in the setting sun. Gryffindor was in the lead. But just then, Katara had shown up beside him, a proud smile on her face as her dark brown hair shone gorgeously in the dying sunlight.

"Well done, Aang," the Water Tribe girl praised him, throwing her arms around him. "You and Harry...well done!"

"Thanks to you and the others," Aang replied, smiling as the two shared a kiss.

"Whatever you and the others did, Katara, thanks." Harry had come forward to see them. "But look, Snape's heading towards the Forbidden Forest!"

The lovers turned to see that Harry was right. A hooded figure was running swiftly down the front steps of the castle, walking as fast as possible toward the forbidden forest. The victory from the Quidditch match faded from Aang's mind as he watched the prowling person walk faster.

_What's going on? _he wondered. _Why isn't he up at dinner with everyone else? _Out loud, as he got his glider's wings back out, he said, "We'll go see what he's up to, Harry."

"I'll come with you," Katara said. When Aang was about to refuse in fear of hurting her, she went on stubbornly, "What if you and Harry get hurt? You won't have a skilled healer around if I stay behind."

Harry was actually nodding. "She's right. Let her come."

So Aang let Katara get behind him while Harry jumped back on his Nimbus Two Thousand, and they took off. Gliding silently over the castle, they saw Snape enter the dark forest at a quick run, so they followed him.

The trees were so thick and dark that Aang couldn't see where Snape went. He glided in circles, lower and lower, the wings brushing the top branches of trees until he heard voices. Aang glided toward them and landed silently in a towering oak tree, Katara quietly getting off. They climbed carefully along a branch, Aang holding on to his staff, as they tried to see the Potions master through the leaves. Across from them, Harry had landed in a birch tree and was doing the same thing.

Below, in a shadowy clearing, stood Snape, but he wasn't alone. Quirrell was there too, making Aang and Katara share looks as they looked back down. They couldn't see the look on his face, but he was stuttering worse than ever. Aang strained hard to hear what these two were saying.

"...d-don't know why you wanted t-t-to meet here of all p-places, Severus..."

"Oh, I thought we'd keep this private," Snape hissed, his voice icy. "Students aren't supposed to know about the Sorcerer's Stone, after all."

Quirrell was mumbling something, but Snape interrupted him, asking, "Have you found out how to get past that beast of Hagrid's yet?"

"B-b-but Severus, I..."

"You don't want me as your enemy, Quirrell," Snape growled, taking a step towards him.

"I-I don't know what you..."

"You know perfectly well what I mean."

A great gray owl hooted loudly as it took off from a branch above Katara's head. But the branch it took off from swung forth so fast that it sliced across her forehead, making her hiss in pain.

"Katara?" Aang asked in worry, turning to her. "You okay?"

His girlfriend gave a pained smile and nodded despite the scratch turning red from blood. "Yeah. It's just a scratch, Aang. No one can die from a small scratch."

Aang calmed down and looked around in time to hear Snape say, "...your little bit of hocus-pocus. I'm waiting."

"B-but I d-d-don't..."

"Very well," Snape cut in. "We'll have another little chat soon when you've had time to think things over and decided where your loyalties lie."

He threw his cloak over his head and was just starting to go away when Aang noticed something that was too late to prevent. A drop of blood trickled down from the scratch Katara got from the branch and splashed down behind Snape. The hook-nosed teacher turned around to see the splash of blood and was starting to look up. Quickly, both of them covered themselves in bushy oak branches to hide themselves.

Seemingly satisfied, Snape then left the clearing.

It was almost dark now, but Aang could see Quirrell, standing still as if he was petrified. Was this why Quirrel was so nervous all the time? Because of Snape? He looked around as Katara swiped her hand across her forehead, stopping the bleeding and cleansing the blood away with WaterBending. When she was finished, Aang let his girlfriend climb back onto his glider with him, and off they went.

**...**

"Sugar Queen! Twinkletoes! Where were you?" Toph called to them through the dark. She and Sokka had come out to the entrance of the castle to greet them there.

"You won!" Sokka called, patting his sister and the Avatar on the backs. "Ron gave Malfoy a black eye, and Neville tried to take on Crabbe and Goyle on his own, but he needed a bit of help. He's still knocked out, but Madam Pomfrey said he'll be okay. Talk about showing Slytherin!"

Toph added, "And don't forget when I launched Pug-Face into next week! Best early birthday present ever!"

The two lovers smiled at this, though Katara asked, "Aren't you usually rooting for Ravenclaw, Sokka? It's your House, after all."

Her brother nodded. "Yeah, but you're my sister and my friend, you two. Of course I'd root for you any day! Anyhow, everyone's waiting for you in the Gryffindor common room, and they're throwing a party. Not to mention that Toph and I were invited."

"Not to mention that the Weasley twins took some stuff from the kitchens to celebrate," Toph piped up.

Before Katara could go inside to scold the twins, Aang said, "I think you guys better hear what Harry and we saw."

So Team Avatar went over to an empty classroom, and Aang made sure no one else was inside before shutting the door. When Team Avatar was settled in, Aang told them what they had seen and heard. As Sokka looked suspicious and protective at seeing Katara's new scar, she explained that she got cut on a branch because of a great gray owl.

"So we were right all along," Toph said smugly when Aang finished. "It IS this Sorcerer's Stone or whatever it is!"

"Shh!" Katara hissed, looking towards the door. "Don't let the teachers hear you!"

Aang nodded before going on. "Toph's right. And Snape's trying to force Quirrell to help him get it. He asked if he knew how to get past Fluffy and said something about his 'hocus pocus' or whatever that is. Maybe there are other things guarding the stone in addition to Fluffy. Charms, perhaps, and Quirrell would do some anti-Dark Arts spell that Snape needs to break through."

"So the Stone's only safe if Quirrell stands up to Snape?" Katara asked in alarm.

Sokka nodded grimly. "It'll be gone by next Tuesday. We need to keep an eye out on Snape from now on at all costs."

_**To be continued...**_

**...**

**AvatarCat12: Looks like we're getting nearer the main plot every day! It's called the climax to refresh your memories. But yeah, like I said earlier, I'll be making a sequel after this FanFic is over.**

**Remember when I put up that post about making a FanFic about what happened when Aang and Katara spent that month at the Dursleys? Well, just in case a FanFic like that hasn't been written yet, I'm making the first two chapters. It'll be a friendship/humor, and it'll be rated T (mostly high T) for certain reasons. So let's go with the review thing and the preview for The Norwegian Ridgeback.**

**Remember to read and review, folks! Those who do will get virtual Halloween candy of your choosing; besides, Halloween will be coming soon. If not, then you can suggest a prize of your own. I don't allow flames, so make sure there aren't any on there, but I DO allow advice and constructive criticism.**

**Preview: Hagrid is keeping a secret from the other people of Hogwarts: a dragon egg in his cabin! Will Team Avatar and the Golden Trio come over in time to see it hatch? And when it DOES hatch, can Sokka come up with a way to keep a certain nosy person from finding out the truth?**

**See ya next time!**


	16. Norbert

**AvatarCat12: Hey everyone! Welcome to another new chapter of Avatar Aang And The Sorcerer's Stone! First off, I wanna apologize for not uploading sooner or later. I had a lot of things that got me busy, so I'll get to them eventually.**

**Second, my first true Kataang lemon's getting pretty good with reviews. They're making me want to write some more chapters for it...and I fully intend on doing that. But for now, let's focus on the other stories until then.**

**Finally, here's the disclaimer.**

**Disclaimer: Avatar: The Last AirBender and Harry Potter don't belong to me, folks. The owners are Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko, and J.K. Rowling. Plus, I got the sources from the Read Free Online website, which I don't own.**

**Summary: ****Hagrid is keeping a secret from the other people of Hogwarts: a dragon egg in his cabin! Will Team Avatar and the Golden Trio come over in time to see it hatch? And when it DOES hatch, can Sokka come up with a way to keep a certain nosy person from finding out the truth?**

**Uploading Date: December 8, 2012**

**Enjoy!**

**...**

_**Norbert**_

Quirrell, however, must have been braver than they had thought. In the weeks that followed, he did seem to be getting paler and thinner, but it didn't look as like he cracked yet.

Every time they passed the third-floor corridor, Team Avatar and the Golden Trio would press their ears to the door to check that Fluffy was still growling inside. Snape was sweeping about in his usual bad temper, which meant that the Stone was still safe. Whenever Harry and Aang often passed Quirrell these days, they gave him an encouraging smile, and Ron and Sokka started scolding people for laughing at Quirrell's stutter.

Hermione, however, had more on her mind than the Sorcerer's Stone. She and Katara had started drawing up study schedules and color-coding all their notes. The others wouldn't have minded, but she kept nagging them to do the same.

"Hermione, the exams are ages away," Toph said.

"Ten weeks," Hermione snapped. "That's not ages; that's like a second to Nicolas Flamel."

Ron reminded her, "But we're not six hundred years old. Anyway, what are you studying for? you already know it's an A."

Hermione glared at him. "What am I studying for? Are you crazy? You realize we need to pass these exams to get into the second year? They're very important. I should have started studying a month ago; I don't know what's gotten into me..."

"She's right," Katara added. Giving a half stern and half amused look at the others, she said, "It's very important to study if we want to go into second year."

Aang nodded. "Much as I don't like too much studying, I'll be okay with it."

Unfortunately, the teachers seemed to be thinking the same as the two girls. They piled so much homework on them that the Easter breaks (which Team Avatar learned about recently) weren't nearly as much fun as the Christmas ones. It was hard to relax with Hermione next to someone reciting the twelve uses of dragon's blood or practicing wand movements. Moaning and yawning, the others spent their free time in the library with her, trying to get through the extra work.

And about Easter, Aang had heard of how the holiday started: a powerful being named Jesus Christ had risen from the dead three days after he was killed. This now led him to believe that this person was even more powerful than all the spirits in the Spirit World combined. But for now...Sokka could relax from the talk.

"I'll never remember this," Ron burst out one afternoon, throwing down his quill and looking out of the library window. It was the first beautiful day they had in months. The sky was a clear blue, and there was a feeling in the air of summer coming. Plus, Appa was flying around in the sky, relishing in the warmness he was now feeling.

Sokka didn't look up from measuring his boomerang until he heard Ron say, "Hagrid! What are you doing in the library?"

Hagrid had just shuffled into view, hiding something behind his back. He looked very out of place in his moleskin overcoat. "Jus' lookin'," he said in a shifty voice that got their interest at once. "And what're you lot up ter? Yer not still lookin' fer Nicolas Flamel, are yeh?"

"Oh, we found out who he is ages ago," Ron replied impressively. "And we know what that dog's guarding, it's a Sorcerer's St-"

"Shhh!" Hagrid looked around quickly to see if anyone was listening. "Don't go shoutin' 'bout it. What's the matter with yeh?"

Toph quickly put her hand over Ron's mouth, muttering, "Not helping, Redhead."

"There are a few things we wanted to ask you, as a matter of fact," Harry added. "About what's guarding the Stone apart from Fluffy-"

But Hagrid quickly shushed him too. "Listen, come an' see me later, I'm not promisin' I'll tell yeh anythin', mind, but don't go rabbitin' about it in here; students aren't s'pposed ter know. They'll think I've told yeh-"

"Told us what?" Aang asked more considerately. "We can keep a secret!"

Sokka rolled his eyes. "No YOU can't. Not like the time you told everyone I was growing a real mustache. A REAL mustache, I tell ya!"

Katara retorted, "Well, it _did_ look like a caterpillar was crawling across your lip." That caused her brother to glare indignantly at her.

Hagrid shuffled off, making Toph mutter, "Wow...great conversation there."

"I suppose you four act like this all the time?" Hermione asked her rhetorically. She went on pensively, "But what was he hiding behind his back?"

Harry asked, "Do you think it had anything to do with the Stone?"

"I'm going to see what section he was in," Ron said. He came back a minute later with a pile of books in his arms and slammed them down on the table. "Dragons! Hagrid was looking up stuff about dragons! Look at these: Dragon Species of Great Britain and Ireland; From Egg to Inferno, A Dragon Keeper's Guide."

Sokka looked down at the book with interest. "Huh...looks like we get to see real dragons this time, huh?"

"Hagrid's always wanted a dragon," Harry spoke up after him. "He told me so the first time I ever met him."

Ron replied, "But it's against our laws. Dragon breeding was outlawed by the Warlocks' Convention of 1709, everyone knows that. It's hard to stop Muggles from noticing us if we're keeping dragons in the back garden. Anyways, you can't tame dragons; it's dangerous. You should see the burns Charlie's got off wild ones in Romania."

Harry asked, "But there aren't wild dragons in Britain?"

"Of course there are," Ron said. "Common Welsh Green and Hebridean Blacks. The Ministry of Magic has a job hushing them up, I can tell you. Our kind has to keep putting spells on Muggles who've spotted them to make them forget."

"Are there any wild dragons in other parts of this world?" Aang asked; Sokka could tell that he recalled the time he and Kuzon, Aang's Fire Nation friend, saved a dragon and her egg from poachers. "Are there?"

Ron nodded. "Yeah. There's the Chinese Fireball and the Asian Lung in China. They're rare, they are. Plus, there's the Mexican Ampithere and Old Hoppy from Australia."

"So what on earth's Hagrid up to?" Hermione muttered.

**...**

When Team Avatar and the Golden Trio knocked on the door of the gamekeeper's hut at night, they were surprised to see that all the curtains were closed. Hagrid called "Who is it?" before he let them in and shut the door quickly behind them. It was stifling hot inside, and even though it was such a warm day, there was a blazing fire in the grate. Hagrid made them tea and offered them stoat sandwiches, which they refused.

But Sokka had to admit that he was a little hungry after all the studying, so he accepted one.

"So...yeh wanted to ask me somethin'?" Hagrid asked.

Katara tilted her head towards the Golden Trio. "We're staying out of this for now. Harry?" she asked. "Did you want to ask Hagrid something?"

"Yeah," Harry said. "We were wondering if you could tell us what's guarding the Sorcerer's Stone apart from Fluffy."

Hagrid frowned at him. "Of course I can't. Number one, I don't know meself. Number two, yeh know too much already, so I wouldn't tell yeh if I could. That Stone's here fer a good reason. It was almost stolen outta Gringotts. I suppose yeh've worked that out and all? Beats me how yeh even know about Fluffy."

"Oh, come on, Hagrid. You might not want to tell us, but you do know everything that goes on round here," Hermione said in a warm flattering voice. Hagrid's beard twitched, and Sokka could tell he was smiling. "We only wondered who had done the guarding, really. We wondered who Dumbledore had trusted enough to help him, apart from you."

Hagrid's chest swelled at these last words. Harry and Ron beamed at Hermione, Team Avatar doing the same for Toph...who was staring at the door. Sokka was amused by Hermione's part there, and he had to admit that she did have the charm.

"Well, I don't suppose it could hurt ter tell yeh that...let's see..." Hagrid sat down to think before he said, "He borrowed Fluffy from me...then some o' the teachers did enchantments. Professor Sprout, Professor Flitwick, Professor McGonagall..." He ticked them off on his fingers as he counted them. "Professor Quirrell...and Dumbledore himself did somethin', of course. Hang on, I've forgotten someone. Oh yeah, Professor Snape."

"Snape?" Sokka asked, unable to stop himself.

Hagrid nodded. "Yer not still on about that, are yeh? Look, Snape helped protect the Stone. He's not about ter steal it."

But Sokka sat down, thinking this over. If Snape had been protecting the Stone, it must have been easy to find out how the other teachers had guarded it. He probably knew everything about it...except, it seemed, Quirrell's spell and how to get past Fluffy.

"You're the only one who knows how to get past Fluffy. aren't you, Hagrid?" Harry asked the gamekeeper. "And you wouldn't tell anyone, would you? Not even one of the teachers?"

"Not a soul knows except me and Dumbledore," said Hagrid with a proud tone.

Harry turned to the other six. "Well, that's something. Hagrid, can we have a window opened? I'm boiling."

Aang let out a small heated sigh. "Yeah...it's a bit like a volcano in here."

Hagrid looked over at the fire. "Can't, kids. Sorry."

"Hagrid..." Harry was now staring at a huge black egg underneath the kettle in the heart of the fire. "What's that ?"

"Ah," Hagrid said, scratching his beard nervously. "That's...er..."

All seven of them added together, "A dragon egg!"

"Where did you get it, Hagrid?" Ron asked, crouching over the fire to get a closer look at the egg. "It must've cost you a fortune."

Hagrid replied, "Won it last night. I was down in the village havin' a few drinks and got into a game o' cards with a stranger. Think he was quite glad ter get rid of it, ter be honest."

Sokka gaped at the egg in awe. "I can't believe it...a real dragon egg in the shell! Get it?" he chuckled at his own joke. "'Cause dragon babies grow in shells? And it's like the saying 'in the flesh?'"

"Maybe you can spend some time _hatching _new jokes," Katara retorted, rolling her eyes. This time, the others got to laugh at her joke.

"But what are you going to do with it when it's hatched?" Hermione asked Hagrid, sounding just as worried as ever.

Toph rolled her eyes. "Raise it, no doubt. But it'd be cool having a dragon for a pet."

"Well, I've bin doin' some readin'," Hagrid, pulling a large book from under his pillow. "Got this outta the library. Dragon Breeding for Pleasure and Profit. It's a bit outta date, o' course, but it's all in here. Keep the egg in the fire 'cause their mothers breathe on 'em, see, and when it hatches, feed it on a bucket o' brandy mixed with chicken blood every half hour. And see here..." Then he showed them a chapter of new species. "How ter recognize different eggs. What I got there's a Norwegian Ridgeback. They're rare, them."

"Wow," Aang remarked, moving in closer to get a closer look. "That's pretty cool! Makes me want one myself now!"

Hagrid looked very pleased with himself, but Hermione didn't look happy. "Hagrid, you live in a wooden house," she tried to explain.

But Hagrid wasn't listening to her. Instead, he was humming merrily as he stoked the fire. This made Sokka shake his head and think fondly, _Typical Hagrid._

**...**

So now they had something else to worry about: what might happen to Hagrid if anyone found out he was hiding a dragon in his hut. Sokka knew he should be worried, but still, it would be cool to see a dragon in the flesh. He and Katara had not seen real dragons so far, for they had lived their lives in the South Pole.

"Wish we can get a break from all this," he sighed. They were in the courtyard as they struggled with all the extra homework they got. Like Hermione, Katara had now started making study schedules for the others too, and it was driving them nuts.

"Well, we can't right now," his sister told him cuttingly as she worked on her Herbology homework. "If we want to continue the mission Dumbledore gave us, then we have to study to come over next year."

Aang nodded. "She's right, you know."

Sokka glared sternly at him. "Let me guess...you're agreeing with her because you two are a couple and spread oogies everywhere?"

This time, Katara snapped (loudly for the others to hear), "DARN IT, SOKKA! ENOUGH WITH THE OOGIES ALREADY!"

The whole area got quiet around them as many people stared awkwardly over at the siblings. Sokka felt slightly bad for bringing the oogies up, but they were really starting to get him sick. After what seemed to be three minutes, the awkward silence was broken by a familiar voice.

"So...anyone wanna check out the crup we nicked from the forest?" Fred or George asked.

Then, one morning during breakfast, there was another note from Hagrid. He had written only two words: _It's hatching._

"It's hatching?" Aang asked. "You mean the egg?"

"What else do you know hatches?" Toph asked sarcastically. "Besides birds, rocks, or skulls."

Ron wanted to skip Herbology and go straight down to the hut, but Hermione wouldn't hear of it. He even asked her, "Hermione, how many times in our lives are we going to see a dragon hatching?"

"We've got lessons," Hermione insisted. "We'll get into trouble, and that's nothing to what Hagrid's going to be in when someone finds out what he's doing-"

But Sokka, who had come over to sit next to Katara, looked to the side. Malfoy was only a few feet away, and he had stopped dead in his tracks to listen. How much had he heard? Sokka didn't like the look on Malfoy's face at all, for it was a conniving sneer.

So he turned to Ron and Hermione and hissed, "Will you two shut up? Someone'll hear you!"

After that, Ron and Hermione argued all the way to Herbology, and in the end, Sokka told them to either shut up or get Hagrid in trouble with their bickering. Then Hermione had agreed to run down to Hagrid's with the other six during morning break. When the bell sounded from the castle at the end of the lesson, all seven of them dropped their stuff at once and hurried through the grounds to the edge of the forest. Appa was outside the hut, greeting Aang happily by giving him a huge lick from his long tongue.

The others looked disturbed while Hermione asked, "Is...that him being affectionate?"

"Sorry," Aang chuckled, Bending the bison saliva off of him. "Careful if he licks any of you."

Just in time, Hagrid greeted them, looking flushed and excited. "It's nearly out," he said, ushering them inside.

The big black egg was lying on the table, deep cracks in it. Something was moving about inside; a funny clicking noise was coming from it like a rock. They all drew their chairs up to the table and watched with bated breath. Sokka shared an excited look with Katara, eager to see a dragon for the first times ever. All at once, there was a scraping noise, and the egg split open.

The baby dragon flopped onto the table. It wasn't exactly the prettiest animal in the world, Sokka realized. Its spiny wings were big compared to its skinny jet body, it had a long snout with wide nostrils, the stubs of horns, and big orange eyes. But then it sneezed, and a couple of sparks flew out of its snout. After it did so, it let out a little cooing sound.

"Aww..." Katara cooed, her blue eyes shining as the baby dragon looked up at her. She leaned her head against Aang's shoulder and said, "He's kinda cute."

"The little guy sounds healthy," Toph remarked with a smile.

Aang smiled too. "This sure reminds me of Kuzon and I saving a dragon's egg. This brings back those memories."

"Isn't he beautiful?" Hagrid murmured. He reached out a hand to stroke the dragon's head while it snapped at his fingers, showing pointed fangs. That made him gasp in joy, "Bless him. Look, he knows his mummy!"

"Hagrid, how fast do Norwegian Ridgebacks grow, exactly?" Hermione asked with worry.

Hagrid was about to answer when the color suddenly drained from his face. He leapt to his feet and ran to the window, looking around quickly.

"What's the matter?" Sokka asked.

Hagrid looked back at them. "Someone was lookin' through the gap in the curtains. It's a kid; he's runnin' back up ter the school."

Hearing this, Sokka bolted over to the door and looked out. Even at a distance, there was no mistaking the pointed face and the blonde hair. Malfoy had seen the dragon.

**...**

Something about the evil smirk lurking on Malfoy's face during the next week made all seven of them very nervous. Sokka was waiting for any moment for Malfoy to run to a professor and tattle on them, but it didn't come yet. Noticing the worried looks on the Golden Trio's faces, Aang and Katara had hung out together a bit less than before. Even Toph, the EarthBender with a heart of gold (and steel for nerves), was a bit nervous.

They spent most of their free time in Hagrid's darkened hut, trying to reason with him. But each time they tried to tell him to let the dragon free, the gamekeeper would refuse.

"Just let him go," Harry urged as he, Ron, Sokka, and Toph came to visit. "Set him free."

"I can't," Hagrid told him. "He's too little. He'd die."

They looked at the dragon and were surprised that it had grown three times in length in just a week. Smoke kept furling out of its nostrils as if it was ready to torch towns already. Hagrid hadn't been doing his gamekeeping duties because the dragon was keeping him so busy. There were empty brandy bottles and chicken feathers all over the floor.

"I've decided to call him Norbert," Hagrid said, looking at the dragon with misty eyes. "He really knows me now, watch." He hid his face behind his large hands as he called, "Norbert! Norbert! Where's Mummy?"

"He's lost his marbles," Ron muttered in Harry's ear.

Toph looked over at him and snorted. "Why doesn't he just hide the dragon in the Forbidden Forest? Look at Appa; he's as big as a house, but he can fit in there well."

Ron rolled his eyes. "Appa's different. Breeding a giant animal that looks like the world's fattest cat isn't illegal...but breeding a dragon is."

Harry spoke up this time. "Hagrid, give it two weeks, and Norbert's going to be as long as your house. Malfoy could go to Dumbledore at any moment."

Hagrid bit his lip. "I...I know I can't keep him forever, but I can't just dump him. I can't."

Harry suddenly turned to Ron, and Sokka heard him utter one name:

"Charlie."

"You're losing it too," Ron groaned, smacking his forehead. "I'm Ron, remember?"

"No, you maroon!" Sokka retorted, thumping his head lightly. "He means your brother!"

"Exactly," Harry said. "You brother Charlie in Romania. Studying dragons. We could send Norbert to him, and Charlie can take care of him and then put him back in the wild!"

"Brilliant!" said Ron. "How about it, Hagrid?"

At first, Hagrid looked uneasy at the idea, but they tried hard to persuade him. In the end, he finally said, "I don't suppose it'd hurt ter send an owl ter Charlie and ask 'im."

**...**

The following week dragged by. That Wednesday night, Sokka found Aang, Katara, Harry, and Hermione sitting alone in the common room, long after everyone else had gone to bed. Toph had already gone to bed, telling someone to wake her when the letter came.

The clock on the wall had just chimed midnight when Sokka led Ron into the common room. They had used the Invisibility Cloak to go to Hagrid's and see Norbert, helping feed him dead rats by the crate. But at one point, Norbert got out of control.

"It bit me!" Ron snapped, showing them his hand, which was wrapped in a bloody handkerchief. "I'm not going to be able to hold a quill for a week. I tell you, that dragon's the most horrible animal I've ever met, but the way Hagrid goes on about it, you'd think it was a fluffy little bunny rabbit. When it bit me, he told me off for frightening it. And when I left, he was singing it a lullaby."

"Yeah," Sokka added. "I was amazed at how much biting force Norbert had. Maybe we can get some money from his fangs."

But Katara glared at him crossly. "Sokka, no. We're not going to kill him for a black market."

Sokka held up his hands in a surrendering way. "Okay, okay! Just kidding!"

There was a tap on the dark window, and Harry hurried to the window. "It's Hedwig!" he said, letting her in. "She'll have Charlie's answer!"

So all of them put their heads together to read the note.

_Dear Ron,_

_How are you? Thanks for the letter; I'd be glad to take the Norwegian Ridgeback, but it won't be easy getting him here. I think the best thing will be to send him over with some friends of mine who are coming to visit me next week. Trouble is, they mustn't be seen carrying an illegal dragon._

_Could you get the Ridgeback up the tallest tower at midnight on Saturday? They can meet you there and take him away while it's still dark._

_Send me an answer as soon as possible._

_Love,_

_Charlie_

They looked at one another, unable to think of what to do next. Then Harry spoke up.

"We've got the Invisibility Cloak," he said. "It shouldn't be too difficult; I think the cloak's big enough to cover some of us and Norbert."

"Got it," Aang said, standing up. "We'll help you guys along the way. And I better go wake Toph up."

**...**

But wherever there's a plan, there's a problem. And sadly, in this plan, there was a problem. By the next morning, Ron's bitten hand had swollen to twice its usual size. Sokka didn't know if it was safe to bring him to Madam Pomfrey; I mean, would she recognize a dragon bite? By the afternoon, though, he realized that he had no choice. The cut had turned a nasty shade of green, and it looked as if Norbert's fangs were poisonous.

Regrettably, when Aang had come down to see what the problem was with Norbert, he got bit on the hand too. When Sokka saw his friend groaning and clutching his bleeding hand as he came back to the common room, he wanted to go down there and give that beast a spanking. But he couldn't, for they had a mission to do.

"Just lemme get down to the cabin," Sokka snarled, trying to push past Toph and Harry as Katara rushed Aang to the hospital wing. "I don't need my sword or Mr. Boomerang! I'm gonna tear that little beast to shreds with my bare hands! He bit my buddy!"

"Uh-uh!" Toph growled, using EarthBending to trap him. "Now when I let you go, you stay with us and handle Poison Fangs in a normal way. Got it?"

Sokka nodded.

So the remaining four rushed up to the hospital wing at the end of the day to find Ron in a terrible state in bed. Aang didn't look as bad as Ron did, but his hand was also looking quite ugly-looking. Katara was by his bedside, smoothing healing water over his hand with her WaterBending, but the wound didn't change.

"It's not just my hand," Ron whispered. "...although that feels like it's about to fall off. Malfoy told Madam Pomfrey he wanted to borrow one of my books so he could come and have a good laugh at me. He kept threatening to tell her what really bit me; I've told her it was a dog, but I don't think she believes me." He groaned miserably, "I shouldn't have hit him at the Quidditch match; that's why he's doing this."

"Don't think that," Toph told him. "Malfoy's being a pain in the butt, that's all."

"It'll all be over at midnight on Saturday," Hermione said.

But this didn't soothe Ron at all. On the contrary, he sat bolt upright and broke into a sweat, rasping hoarsely, "Midnight on Saturday! Oh no, oh no...I've just remembered! Charlie's letter was in that book Malfoy took! He's going to know we're getting rid of Norbert."

Sokka turned to Aang, who looked around and rasped, "I hope we can try and get Norbert away from Malfoy. Otherwise we'll get in trouble."

"Not if we can-" Sokka started to say, but he was interrupted by Madam Pomfrey.

"Please leave right away," the school nurse told them. "These two young men need their night's rest. Now out, out, OUT." As they were about to leave, Madam Pomfrey gave a sigh and added, "Not you yet, Katara. You've been a good help so far."

Sokka snorted with laughter a bit as his sister ran right back to Aang, clearly hoping on trying to heal him. But on the inside, he was happy to see how much she cared for the Avatar. Ooginess aside, he was still proud of her. Seeing her talk soothingly to him before going over to Ron, the others left the hospital wing.

"It's too late to change the plan now," Harry told the group. "We haven't got time to send Charlie another owl, and this could be our only chance to get rid of Norbert. We'll have to risk it. And we have the Invisibility Cloak. Malfoy doesn't know about that."

"Let's hope he'll NEVER know about it," Toph replied.

They found Fang, the boarhound, sitting outside with a bandaged tail when they went to tell Hagrid. Gin was outside with him, trying to lick his ears to calm the boarhound down. Just as they arrived, Hagrid had opened a window to talk to them.

"I won't let you in," he puffed. "Norbert's at a tricky stage...nothin' I can't handle."

When they told him about Charlie's letter, his eyes filled with tears, but that might have been so because Norbert just bit him on the leg. He gave a grunt before chuckling, "It's all right. He only got my boot...just playin'...he's only a baby, after all."

Inside, the baby dragon banged its tail on the wall, making the windows rattle. Sokka could tell that Norbert was getting really restless now, wanting to go outside and explore. But he gave a shrug as they all walked back to the castle, feeling Saturday was coming along as slowly as an old turtle seal.

**...**

Finally, the night for Norbert to leave had arrived. They would have felt sorry for Hagrid if they hadn't been so worried about what they had to do. It was a very dark and cloudy night, and they were a bit late arriving at Hagrid's hut because they had to wait for Peeves to get out of their way in the entrance hall, where he bounced a ball against the wall. Hagrid was standing next to Appa, already having had Norbert packed and ready in a large crate.

"He's got lots o' rats and some brandy fer the journey," Hagrid said in a choked voice. "And I've packed his teddy bear in case he gets lonely."

From inside the crate came ripping noises that sounded to Harry as if the teddy was having his head torn off. Sokka and Toph gave each other weird looks, but they looked back as Harry and Hermione covered the crate with the Cloak and stepped under it. Not wanting to get distracted with the crying for now, they joined the younger kids.

"Bye-bye, Norbert!" Hagrid sobbed. "Mummy will never forget you!"

But right when they left, Sokka muttered, "How come he keeps calling himself a mom? Wouldn't he be a dad instead?"

"I have no idea," Hermione muttered back. "And frankly, I don't think we should worry about it for now."

They finally made it back to the castle, but it was hard to with a crate that size. Midnight ticked nearer as they heaved Norbert up the marble staircase in the entrance hall and along the dark corridors. Up another staircase, then another and another...not even one of Harry's shortcuts didn't make the work much easier.

"Nearly there!" Harry panted as they reached the corridor beneath the tallest tower.

Then a sudden movement ahead made them almost drop the crate. Forgetting that they were already invisible, they shrank into the shadows, staring at the dark outlines of two people grappling with each other ten feet away. A lamp flared, and it was reveal to be Professor McGonagall and Malfoy. The former was in a checked bathrobe and a hairnet, dragging the latter by the ear.

"Detention!" she was snapping. "And twenty points from Slytherin! Wandering around in the middle of the night...how dare you..."

"You don't understand, Professor!" Malfoy was whining, making Sokka roll his eyes. "Harry Potter's coming! He's got a dragon!"

But McGonagall snapped, "What utter rubbish! How dare you tell such lies! Come on. I shall see Professor Snape about you, Malfoy!"

The steep spiral staircase up to the top of the tower seemed the easiest thing in the world after that. Not until they stepped out into the cold night air did they throw off the cloak, glad to be able to breathe properly again. It felt good to be out from under the Cloak and breathing all the fresh air they could.

Hermione did a small skip as she squealed, "Malfoy's got detention! I could sing!"

"Don't," Harry advised her.

"Can I?" Sokka added, stepping up. "I believe I have a good war song from the Water Tribe. You'll all love it..."

But Toph slapped her hand over his mouth and said, "Uh-uh, Snoozles. Two reasons: one, we gotta keep quiet. And two, remember the last time you tried to sing to a crowd of people?"

Sokka glared at the blind EarthBender, but he didn't say anything.

Chuckling about Malfoy, they waited, Norbert thrashing about in his crate. About ten minutes later, four broomsticks came swooping down out of the darkness. Charlie's friends were a cheery bunch as they showed them the harness they rigged up so they could suspend Norbert between them. They all helped buckle Norbert safely into it, and then Sokka, Toph, Harry, and Hermione shook hands with the others and thanked them very much.

At last, Norbert was going...going...gone.

They slipped back down the spiral staircase, quietly as a snake and their hearts as light as their hands; now that Norbert was off them, they felt the relief. No more dragon...Malfoy was now in detention...what could spoil their happiness?

"...crap."

Sokka turned to Toph, worried that she spotted danger. "Toph? What is it?"

"I think I found a certain someone who's happy themselves...to see us out this late," she said.

The answer was indeed waiting at the foot of the stairs. As they stepped into the corridor, Filch's face loomed suddenly out of the darkness with a very nasty leer.

"Well, well, well," he whispered. "We ARE in trouble, aren't we?"

Sokka wanted to grab the Invisibility Cloak and throw it over all four of them, but he let out a small curse. They had left it on top of the tower...and they were in trouble now.

_**To be continued...**_

**...**

**AvatarCat12: Uh-oh...they're in big trouble now! And we're getting near to the end of the story. We just got either three or four more chapter to go...and then I could add an epilogue. So you all excited for it?**

**Sorry I don't have much more to say about anything, but...the fifteenth Pokémon movie comes on today! It's called Kyurem V.S. The Sacred Swordsman. And if you read and review this chapter, you'll get a figurine of Keldeo, Kyurem, or the three other Musketeer Pokémon. Flames will not be allowed, but advice and constructive criticism are welcome here anytime.**

**So anyways, here's the preview for The Forbidden Forest.**

**Preview: Gryffindor is in big trouble now, and Aang and Katara protect him from bullies. What will happen when they find out the truth? Meanwhile, a trip in the Forbidden Forest begins, and Appa has to help Hagrid with something. Will they succeed...or will a dark force in the forest turn them back?**

**And lastly, Appa might have his own POV next chapter!**

**See ya next time! And Merry early Christmas!**


	17. The Forbidden Forest

**Wildstar93: Hey there, everyone! This will be the actual first story I'll upload this year. First, I'd like to say that I'll be putting certain stories up for adoption; any that have the words "adopt" or "up for adoption" in the summaries...you're welcome to have 'em and make 'em the way you want.**

**Second, this is to Angela: Thanks for the advice, but there are reasons why I put those ratings on certain stories like this one. For the younger kids, they could look up stories that are Rated K or K+. When they're older, then they can be able to read stories that are Rated T and M. But still, I appreciate your concern.**

**And finally, I don't know if Appa can understand a lot of human language. But here, let's just say he does and he can hear humans. So...let's continue with the disclaimer.**

**Disclaimer: Michael DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko, and J.K. Rowling own Avatar: The Last AirBender and Harry Potter. Me...I don't. Never have and never will, and never want to. I like to be surprised.**

**Summary: ****Gryffindor is in big trouble now, and Aang and Katara protect Harry from a few bullies. What will happen when they find out the truth? Meanwhile, a trip in the Forbidden Forest begins, and Appa has to help Hagrid with something. Will they succeed...or will a dark force in the forest turn them back?**

**Uploading Date: January 7, 2013**

**Enjoy!**

**...**

_**The Forbidden Forest**_

Things just got worse.

Filch took the four of them down to McGonagall's study on the first floor, where they sat and waited without saying a word. Hermione was trembling, and Sokka couldn't see how they would get out of trouble this time. How could they have forgotten the cloak? There was no reason on earth or the spirit world that McGonagall would accept for their being out of bed and creeping around the school at night...and being up the tallest astronomy tower, which was out-of-bounds except for classes. Add Norbert and the cloak, and they might as well be out of here.

_Could things get worse for us? _Sokka thought...but a few seconds later, he was wrong. When McGonagall appeared, she was leading Neville.

"Harry!" Neville burst out when he saw the other two. "I was trying to find you to warn you! I heard Malfoy saying he was going to catch you! He said you had a drag-"

All four of them shook their head violently to shut Neville up, but McGonagall saw them. She looked angry, more likely to breathe fire than Norbert (or even Zuko on a bad day) as she towered over the four others; Sokka was already at her height.

"I would never have believed it of any of you," she rasped angrily. "Mr. Filch says you were up in the astronomy tower. It's one o'clock in the morning. Explain yourselves."

It was the first time Hermione had ever failed to answer a teacher's question. She just stared down at her slippers, as still as a statue. Sokka knew Toph could tell whatever was a lie or not...but they would need to lie right now. But before he could say a little lie to save their hides, McGonagall spoke up again.

"I think I've got a good idea of what's been going on," she said. "It doesn't take a genius to work it out. You fed Draco Malfoy some cock-and-bull story about a dragon, trying to get him out of bed and into trouble. I've already caught him. I suppose you think it's funny that Longbottom here heard the story and believed it too?"

This made Sokka feel ashamed when he saw Neville, who looked stunned and hurt. He did not want to get his sister's Housemate in trouble and tried to tell him without words that this wasn't true. Poor blundering Neville...he had sacrificed his innocence to come and find them.

McGonagall went on angrily, "I'm disgusted! Four students out of bed in one night! I've never heard of such a thing before! You, Miss Granger...I thought you had more sense. As for you, Mr. Potter, I thought Gryffindor meant more to you than this. And you, Sokka and Toph, I thought you were trustworthy outsiders, but I was wrong. All five of you will receive detentions...yes, you too, Mr. Longbottom. Nothing gives you the right to walk around school at night, especially these days; it's very dangerous. And fifty points will be taken from Gryffindor."

"Fifty?!" Harry gasped.

Sokka could see the shock in his green eyes. Gryffindor would lose the lead, the lead he won in the last Quidditch match...though he (Sokka) was a Ravenclaw.

"Fifty points _each_," McGonagall replied, breathing heavily through her long pointed nose. "And fifty points each from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff."

"Professor, please..."

"You can't!"

"No way!"

"Don't tell me what I can and can't do, Potter. Now get back to bed, all of you. I've never been more ashamed of Gryffindor students."

A hundred and fifty points lost. That put Gryffindor in last place. In one night, they had ruined any chance Gryffindor had for the house cup...and Sokka had helped him. He felt as bad as he did when he abandoned Aang for hiding his father Hakoda's rendezvous map. How could they ever make up for this?

Sokka and Toph had went their separate ways, but the former didn't sleep all night. He could hear Boulder the toad croak for what seemed like hours and couldn't think of anything to say. He knew the Gryffindors, like himself, were dreading the dawn. What would happen when the rest of Gryffindor found out what happened?

**...**

The next day, as Aang, Katara and Gin passed the giant hourglasses that recorded the house points, they were confused. How could they suddenly lose a hundred and fifty points? And then the story started to spread: Harry Potter, the famous Harry Potter, their hero of two Quidditch matches, had lost them all those points. But they never imagined what would happen next.

Walking away from the four hourglasses, Aang and Katara began to make their way outside to practice their WaterBending, Gin trotting beside them. They did not get too far when they heard an angry voice.

"You cost us first place, Potter!"

Quickly, the two Benders and the silver dog raced around a corner to see three fifth years siege Harry in a circle. They were pushing him around and saying very cruel things towards him like "fake hero" and "traitor". Harry was not doing anything to defend himself, but he did look very uncomfortable about the scolding and bullying.

Aang felt his blood boil on the inside, but he stayed where he was. He knew how painful it was like to be yelled at, but he did not want to cause an argument, for this was Harry's fight. However, Katara barged past him and barked at the students picking on Harry, "Stop it! Leave him alone!"

The three fifth years glared up at her before the blond girl snapped, "Why should we? He cost us the House championship!"

"But is it really necessary to yell at him like that?" Aang asked, walking over and standing between them and Harry. "It was just an accident. If you just listened to his story-"

"No!" the brown-haired boy snapped. "Now's the time for action!"

"You better not hurt him!" Katara snarled, also getting into a fighting stance. "Now get away from him!"

The dark-skinned boy snapped back, "Not until we finish our business!"

He pulled back his fist and swung it hard towards Harry, pushing Aang out of the way with his other hand. But before the fist could connect with the younger boy's face, Gin had leapt forth, snapping his fangs near the fist. The boy pulled back and stared in shock at the dog, who growled at them with his silver fur bristling and his brown eyes glittering. With one more glare at Harry and saying "Looks like we got two more traitors!", the fifth years left them alone.

Once they were gone, Katara ran forth to give Harry a big hug. "Are you okay? Did they hurt you?"

"No," Harry said, looking down. "But I think my reputation is."

"Well, they shouldn't raise a fuss about it," Aang said. "I'm sure it'll smooth over soon."

But it didn't. From being one of the most popular and admired people at the school, Harry had suddenly become the most hated. Even the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs turned against him because they had wanted to see Slytherin lose the House Cup. Everywhere Harry went, people pointed and didn't trouble to lower their voices as they insulted him, making Aang and Katara stay with him at all times. Slytherins, on the other hand, clapped as he walked past them, whistling and jeering, "Thanks Potter, we owe you one!"

Ron (who had come out from the hospital wing) also stood by Harry and said, "They'll all forget this in a few weeks. Fred and George have lost loads of points in all the time they've been here, and people still like them."

"They've never lost a hundred and fifty points in one go, though, have they?" Harry asked him miserably.

"Well...no," Ron admitted.

It was a bit late to repair the damage, but Aang knew they could somehow make it up with some hard work. So he went with Harry to Wood...and Harry had offered to resign from the Quidditch team, having said that he had it with sneaking and spying.

"Resign?!" Wood thundered. "What good will that do?! How are we going to get any points back if we can't win at Quidditch?!"

But even Quidditch lost its fun. The rest of the team wouldn't speak to Harry during practice, and if they had to speak about him, they just called him "the Seeker." Seeing this attitude, Aang had snapped at them after practice about treating Harry like that. And when they refused to change their attitude, he angrily shouted that he quit and left the locker room, asking if they were proud of themselves and leaving them stunned.

Sokka, Toph, Hermione, and Neville were suffering, too. They didn't have as bad a time as Harry, because they weren't as well-known, but nobody would speak to them, either. Hermione had stopped drawing attention to herself in class, keeping her head down and working in silence.

Aang was glad that the exams weren't far away; all the studying seemed to take Harry's mind off his misery. Team Avatar and the Golden Trio kept to themselves, working late into the night and trying to remember the ingredients in potions, learn charms and spells by heart, and memorize the dates of magical discoveries and goblin rebellions. Even Momo, who was a big source of comedy, was quiet and serious, not making a peep before curling up beside Gin next to the fire.

Then, about a week before the exams were due to start, Harry's new resolution not to interfere in anything that wasn't his business was put to an unexpected test. Walking back from the library on his own one afternoon, Aang and Harry heard somebody whimpering from a classroom up ahead. As he drew closer, they heard Quirrell's voice whimpering.

"No...no...not again, please..." he whined, sounding as if someone was threatening him. Aang and Harry moved closer to hear Quirrel sob, "All right...all right..."

Next second, the Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher came hurrying out of the classroom, straightening his turban. He was pale and looked as if he was about to cry as he strode out of sight; Aang didn't think Quirrell had even noticed them. He waited until Quirrell's footsteps had disappeared then peered into the classroom. It was empty, but a door stood ajar at the other end. Aang was halfway toward it before he felt a hand touch his shoulder.

"Aang, no," Harry said, looking sad. "We promised we wouldn't meddle in things that aren't our business anymore."

Aang just gave him a disbelieving look. "Are you talking about us...or you? Whether you like it or not, I'm going into that classroom."

But at the look on Harry's face, he sighed. "Fine. We'll leave the room. Bye, room."

All the same, he would have gambled twelve Sorcerer's Stones that Snape had just left the room, and from what Harry had just heard, Snape would walk with a new spring in his step; Quirrell seemed to have given in at last.

So Aang and Harry went back to the library and split up from there. Aang went to the other side of the library, where Katara was testing Sokka on Charms and Toph was waving her wand around, trying to sense some magic. When he got there and gave Katara a quick peck on the cheek, he told them what had happened.

"So Quirrel finally cracked, huh?" Toph remarked. "If Quirrell's told him how to break his Anti-Dark Force spell..."

"There's still Fluffy, though," Katara reminded the EarthBender.

"Maybe Snape found out how to get past him without asking Hagrid," Sokka suggested, looking up at the books surrounding them. "I bet there's a book telling you how to get past a giant freaky three-headed dog. So Aang...what're we gonna do in Team Avatar style?"

The light of adventure was kindling again in his blue eyes, but Katara interrupted, "Maybe we should go to Dumbledore. That's what we should've done ages ago. We can't tackle our mission for Harry by ourselves...and we have to get help."

"But we've got no proof," Aang said, walking over to a table and patting a sleeping Momo on the head. "Quirrell's too scared to back us up. Snape's only gotta say he doesn't know how the troll got in at Halloween and that he was nowhere near the third floor. And who do you think they'll believe, him or us? Harry hates Snape, but Dumbledore will think he made it up to get him fired. Filch wouldn't help us all even if his life depended on it; he's too friendly with Snape. And don't forget, we have to pretend not to know about the Stone or Fluffy. That'll take lots of explaining."

Katara looked convinced, but Sokka didn't. Instead, he said, "Look, if we just do a little poking around here and there-"

Aang shook his head. "No way...not now anyways. When the time comes, then we'll get right back to work...Team Avatar style."

"You're the man, Twinkletoes," Toph told him sagely.

Aang nodded before he pulled a map of the plant Jupiter toward him and started to learn the names of its moons. Harry had said that they had done enough poking around, but he would show him...and the students of Hogwarts.

**...**

The next night, Appa let out a groan when he heard the door to Hagrid's hut open and watched Hagrid step out. The giant flying bison had heard the big man groan about how the dragon was gone to a new place called Romania. When Hagrid came out, Appa plodded out of the trees by the fire the former made and gave him a big lick on the face. Hagrid, who reached up to Appa's eyes, gave the bison a gentle patting on the head.

A new voice rose from the trees, and Appa stayed still. His eyesight was not really great in the dark, but he could hear the voices now.

"I bet you'll think twice about breaking a school rule again, won't you, eh?" Appa heard the grubby-looking man sneer. "Oh yes...hard work and pain are the best teachers if you ask me. It's just a pity they let the old punishments die out...hang you by your wrists from the ceiling for a few days. I've got the chains still in my office; keep 'em well-oiled in case they're ever needed. Right...off we go, and don't think of running off now; it'll be worse for you if you do."

The moon was bright this night, but clouds scudding across it kept throwing Appa into darkness. From beside him, Hagrid called, "Is that you, Filch? Hurry up, I want ter get started."

Appa wondered if it was Aang who had come. But then "Filch" sneered, "I suppose you think you'll be enjoying yourself with that oaf? Well, think again, boy; it's into the forest you're going, and I'm much mistaken if you'll all come out in one piece."

At this, Neville let out a little moan, and Malfoy stopped dead in his tracks.

"The forest?" one boy (the blonde one who sounded arrogant, Appa believed) yelped. "We can't go in there at night! There's all sorts of things in there...werewolves, I heard," he added as a low howl echoed over the trees.

"That's your problem, isn't it?" Filch retorted, his voice cracking with glee. "Should've thought of them werewolves before you got in trouble, shouldn't you?"

Hagrid came striding toward the people out of the dark, Fang and Appa at his heel. He was carrying his large crossbow, and a quiver of arrows hung over his shoulder. Appa saw that Aang was not there this time, but at least Sokka and Toph were there, Hermione and the round-faced boy with them.

"Abou' time," Hagrid greeted the human children. "I bin waitin' fer half an hour already. All right, Harry, Hermione, and the rest o' yeh?"

Filch told him coldly, "I shouldn't be too friendly to them, Hagrid. They're here to be punished after all."

Hagrid frowned at him. "That's why yer late, is it? Bin lecturin' them, eh? 'Snot your place ter do that. Yeh've done yer bit, I'll take over from here."

"I'll be back at dawn...for what's left of them," Filch added nastily and started back toward the castle, his lamp bobbing away in the darkness.

Appa looked around at Sokka and Toph, who came over and patted him gently on his head like Hagrid had done. He did not have a lot to do over his stay at Hogwarts besides Aang and Momo playing with him on weekends. Now that people he knew were here, things would get a whole lot more interesting.

Malfoy now turned to Hagrid. "I'm not going in that forest, he said, a note of panic in his voice.

"Yeh are if yeh want ter stay at Hogwarts," Hagrid told him fiercely. "Yeh've done wrong, an' now yeh've got ter pay fer it."

"But this is servant stuff; it's not for students to do," Malfoy protested with disdain. "I thought we'd be copying lines or something. If my father knew I was doing this, he'd-"

But Hagrid quickly cut him off. "-tell yer that's how it is at Hogwarts. Copyin' lines! What good's that ter anyone? Yeh'll do summat useful or yeh'll get out. If yeh think yer father'd rather you were expelled, then get back off ter the castle an' pack. Go on."

Malfoy didn't move. He glared at Hagrid furiously, but then he dropped his gaze. Appa guessed that even the most arrogant humans could cower underneath the height of a larger human. It seemed that Malfoy and the younger humans were scared, but Sokka and Toph looked a bit braver despite looking nervous.

"Right then," Hagrid said. "Now listen carefully, 'cause it's dangerous what we're gonna do tonight, an' I don' want no one takin' risks. Follow me over here a moment."

He led them (including Appa) to the very edge of the forest. Holding his lamp up high, Hagrid pointed down a narrow winding earth track that disappeared into the thick dark trees. A light breeze lifted their hair as they looked into the forest, mist whirling around before them.

Then Hagrid pointed to something shiny on the ground and said. "Look there." When they did, he said, "See that stuff shinin' on the ground? Silvery stuff? That's unicorn blood. There's a unicorn in there bin hurt badly by summat. This is the second time in a week. I found one dead last Wednesday. We're gonna try an' find the poor thing. We might have ter put it out of its misery."

"And what if whatever hurt the unicorn finds us first?" said Malfoy, unable to keep the fear out of his voice.

Toph retorted, "Well, that thing that hurt the unicorn's gonna feel the wrath of the greatest EarthBender in the world, punk. So shut your mouth!"

"There's nothin' that lives in the forest that'll hurt yeh if yer with me or Fang," Hagrid told them, quickly breaking up their argument. "An' keep ter the path. Right now, we're gonna split into two parties an' follow the trail in different directions. There's blood all over the place; it must've bin staggerin' around since last night at least."

Malfoy took a look at Fang the boardhound's long fangs and said, "I want Fang."

Hagrid nodded. "All right, but I warn yeh...he's a bloody coward. So me, Harry, Hermione, and Toph'll go one way, an' Draco, Neville, Sokka, an' Fang'll go the other. Now if any of us finds the unicorn, we'll send up green sparks, right? Get yer wands out an' practice now, an' if anyone gets in trouble, send up red sparks, an' we'll all come an' find yeh...so, be careful. Let's go."

Everyone nodded before Sokka walked over to Appa. He said, "Appa, I know I'm not Aang, but we need your help in finding the unicorn easily. Follow the unicorn blood back to the hut and then go down the path we go down. Okay?"

Appa gave a roar to show that he understood.

"Good," Toph added. "This is my first time saying this...yip yip."

Hearing the familiar words, Appa gave another roar, slammed his flat tail down hard onto the ground, and lifted off into the air. He took the time to scan the forest at night, for he did not go in here whenever it got dark; he would often sleep next to Hagrid's hut.

The forest was so black and silent at night. A little way into it, they reached a fork in the earth path, and Harry, Hermione, Hagrid, and Toph took the left path while Sokka, Malfoy, Neville, and Fang took the right. Appa just gave a roar and flew away from the fork, crashing through the branches and sniffing the air. He flew on in silence, his eyes on the ground. Every now and then, a ray of moonlight through the branches above lit a spot of silver-blue blood on the fallen leaves. There were still spots of unicorn blood here and there along the winding path, and Appa stopped for a bit to take a drink from a nearby stream.

Just then, Appa saw something glittery and white in the distance, making him squint a bit. He could have sworn he saw something that looked like a horse in a distance. But before he could plod forth, he heard a familiar voice ring through the trees.

"GET BEHIND THAT TREE!"

Hearing this, Appa turned his head away from the white creature from far away and took off again. When he looked down below, he saw Hagrid seize Harry and Hermione and hoist them off the path behind a towering oak. He pulled out an arrow and fitted it into his crossbow, raising it, ready to fire. Appa flew down beside them and tensed up, his fur quivering in the light breeze. Something was slithering over leaves nearby; it sounded like a cloak trailing along the ground. Hagrid squinted up the dark path, but after a few seconds, the sound faded away.

"I knew it," he murmured. "There's summat in here that shouldn' be."

"A werewolf?" Harry suggested.

Hagrid shook his head. "That wasn' no werewolf, an' it wasn' no unicorn neither. Right...follow me, but careful now."

They walked more slowly, ears straining for the faintest sound; Appa didn't take to the sky in case the unicorn was nearby. Suddenly, in a clearing ahead, something was definitely moving.

"Who's there?" Hagrid called. "Show yerself! I'm armed!"

And into the clearing came...a strange creature. To the waist, it was a human man with red hair and beard, but below that was a horse's gleaming chestnut body with a long reddish tail. Still wary of this new animal, Appa let out a growl.

"Oh, it's you, Ronan," Hagrid said in relief, stepping forth and shaking the creature's hand. "How are yeh?"

"Good evening to you, Hagrid," Ronan replied in a quiet mournful voice. "Were you going to shoot me?"

Hagrid patted his crossbow and replied, "Can't be too careful, Ronan. There's summat bad loose in this forest. This is Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Toph, by the way. Students up at the school. An' this is Ronan, you two. He's a centaur."

"We've noticed," Hermione said faintly.

Appa growled again, but Toph told him, "Settle down, big guy." To the centaur, she said, "Hey. Name's Toph, and this is Appa."

Ronan shook her hand and patted Appa's large head. "Good evening. Students, are you? And do you learn much up at the school?"

"Erm..."

"A bit."

"A bit. Well, that's something. And this beast must have lots of tales to tell," Ronan sighed. He flung back his head and stared at the sky, saying, "Mars is bright tonight."

Hagrid nodded, glancing up too. "Listen, I'm glad we've run inter yeh, Ronan, 'cause there's a unicorn bin hurt. You seen anythin'?"

Ronan didn't answer right away. He stared unblinkingly up to the sky and then sighed again. "Always the innocent are the first victims. So it has been for ages past, so it is now."

"Yeah," Hagrid said. "But have yeh seen anythin', Ronan? Anythin' unusual?"

"Mars is bright tonight," Ronan repeated. "Unusually bright."

Hagrid looked at him impatiently and said, "Yeah, but I was meanin' anythin' unusual a bit nearer home. So yeh haven't noticed anythin' strange?"

Once more, Ronan took a while to answer. Finally, he said, "The forest hides many secrets."

A movement in the trees behind Ronan made Appa growl again, but when the animal came forth, he relaxed. It was only a second centaur, black-haired and -bodied and even more wilder-looking than Ronan.

"Hello, Bane," Hagrid said. "All right?"

"Good evening, Hagrid," Bane said, shaking his hand. "I hope you are well?"

Hagrid shrugged. "Well enough. Look, I've just bin askin' Ronan...you seen anythin' odd in here lately? There's a unicorn bin injured. Would yeh know anythin' about it?"

Bane walked over to stand next to Ronan. He looked skyward and simply replied, "Mars is bright tonight."

But before Hagrid replied, Toph muttered, "Yeah, we've heard for the third time tonight."

The centaur glanced around at her in mild surprise, but Hagrid quickly said, "Well, if either of you do see anythin', let me know, won't yeh? We'll be off, then."

So Hagrid walked out of the clearing, staring over his shoulders at Ronan and Bane. The kids and Appa followed him until the trees blocked their view. Once they were out of sight of the two centaurs, Hagrid began talking to them in a hushed voice.

"_Never_ try an' get a straight answer out of a centaur," he muttered irately. "Ruddy stargazers. Not interested in anythin' closer'n the moon."

"Are there many of them in here?" Hermione asked.

Hagrid nodded. "Oh, a fair few. Keep themselves to themselves mostly, but they're good enough about turnin' up if ever I want a word. They're deep, mind, centaurs; they know things...jus' don' let on much."

"Do you think that was a centaur we heard earlier?" Harry asked next.

"Did that sound like hooves to you? Nah, if yeh ask me, that was what's bin killin' the unicorns; never heard anythin' like it before." To Toph, Hagrid added, "And next time, Toph, jus' let me do the talkin', 'kay?"

Toph shrugged. "Yeah, sure."

They walked on through the dense dark trees, and Appa kept looking over his shoulder. He had the nasty feeling they were being watched by a predator. He was very happy that he was a huge ten ton flying bison with powerful jaws and a massive tail to create a strong wind with. They had just passed a bend in the path when Hermione grabbed Hagrid's arm.

"Hagrid! Look! Red sparks! The others are in trouble!"

Appa looked up in time to see red sparks in the air and gave a low growl. He hated fire, even more ever since he was forced to train in a circus. They listened some more and heard a voice call angrily "Malfoy, you monkey-feathered idiot!" Then... "Great! Just great! Now Aang's rubbing off on me!"

"You wait here!" Hagrid shouted. "Stay on the path, and I'll come back for yeh!"

They heard him crashing away through the undergrowth and stood looking at each other, very scared, until they couldn't hear anything but the rustling of leaves around them. Quickly, Harry and Hermione climbed up onto Appa's saddle while Toph stayed on the ground. Despite feeling a bit scared, the blind EarthBender was still steeling her courage

"You don't think they've been hurt, do you?" Hermione asked.

"I don't care if Malfoy has, but if something's got Neville..." Harry gave a sigh while hanging onto Appa's right horn. "...it's our fault he's here in the first place." Looking down at Toph, he asked, "Toph, aren't you coming up?"

"Nope," Toph replied. "You're talkin' to the world's greatest EarthBender here. I think I can take care of myself."

The minutes dragged by. Their ears seemed sharper than usual. Appa's seemed to be picking up every sigh of the wind, every cracking twig. Where were the others so they could find the unicorn and go back to Hagrid's for a snack?

At last, a great crunching noise announced Hagrid's return. Sokka, Malfoy (with a bloody nose), Neville, and Fang were with him. Hagrid was furious and told them what happened. Malfoy, it seemed, had sneaked up behind Neville and grabbed him as a joke. Neville had panicked and sent up the sparks, so this made Sokka jump angrily at Malfoy and punch him hard in the face, explaining the bloody nose.

"We'll be lucky ter catch anythin' now, with the racket you were makin'," Hagrid barked. "Right, we're changin' groups. Neville and Sokka, you stay with me, Hermione, an' Appa. Harry and Toph, you go with Fang an' this idiot. I'm sorry," he added in a whisper. "But he'll have a harder time frightenin' yeh both, an' we've gotta get this done."

So Harry and Toph set off into the heart of the forest with Malfoy and Fang. They walked for nearly half an hour, deeper and deeper into the forest, until the path became almost impossible to follow because the trees were so thick. Toph felt the good old earth between her toes despite this soil being foreign; besides, they had been in a new world for months. Still, earth was earth.

"Wait until me father hears of this!" Malfoy griped as they walked on. "This is servant's stuff!"

"If I didn't know any better, Malfoy, sounds like you're scared!" Toph teased him mockingly.

Malfoy glared at her, though she didn't see due to blindness. "I'm not scared."

Suddenly, a howl echoed through the dark night, chilling Toph's blood. Beside her, Harry asked, "What was that? Come on, Fang!"

So they ran, and Harry described to Toph what she couldn't see. There were splashes of blood on the roots of a tree as if the poor creature was thrashing around in pain close by. Toph could feel the path of a thicket ahead through the tangled branches of an ancient oak.

"Look," Harry murmured, holding out his arm to stop Malfoy.

Something bright white was gleaming through Toph's blind eyes. They inched closer, and the blind girl heard Harry give a small gasp. Nudging him, she asked, "What is it? Did something happen to Sokka?"

"No," Malfoy hissed. "What's wrong with your eyesight?"

Harry whispered, "Shush, Malfoy! But it's the unicorn, all right, and it's dead."

He had taken one step toward it when a slithering sound made them freeze where they stood. A bush on the edge of the clearing quivered...then something dark and scary slid out towards the unicorn. All four of them stood transfixed at this horror. The cloaked figure reached the unicorn and, from the squelch Toph heard, began to drink its blood.

"AAAAAAAAAARGH!"

Malfoy let out a terrible scream and bolted, and so did Fang. The hooded figure raised its head and looked right at Harry and Toph, got to its feet, and came swiftly at them. Toph couldn't move out of fear, and neither could Harry.

Suddenly, beside Toph, she could hear Harry groan in pain and fall down beside her. Toph got back to her feet to try and find the attacker...but she couldn't feel anything from this person. It appeared to have no feet, and she knew she could not hit a flying or floating opponent. Just when she was about to fall down again, she felt the gallop of hooves behind her as a new creature ran at the dark creature.

It took a minute or two for the squabble to pass before she heard the dark creature flee. When they looked up, the figure had gone. A new centaur was standing over him, not Ronan or Bane this time; this one felt younger with a sturdier build.

"Are you all right?" the centaur asked, pulling both humans to their feet.

"Yes...thank you..." Harry gasped. "What was that?"

The centaur didn't answer at first while a flutter of wings occurred until it reached the ground. Finally, the centaur replied, "You are the Potter boy...and a friend of yours," he said. "You had better get back to Hagrid. The forest is not safe at this time...especially for you. Can you ride? It will be quicker this way. My name is Firenze," he added, lowering himself on to his front legs so that Harry could clamber onto his back.

"And I'm a friend of his," a new middle-aged female voice added. "I am Fusa, and I am a druid here in the Forbidden Forest." As Toph shook her hand, she felt a hoof morph from the hand, making Fusa say, "Sorry. It's my wild side showing. I can turn into either a panther, bear, doe, seal, or raven. So if you need a ride, just ask."

Toph nodded. "Okay...so can I have a ride?"

Fusa replied, "Sure. Just be careful when you get onto my back."

So Toph waited until she turned into a doe before climbing on. Just as she did, though, there was suddenly a sound of more galloping from the other side of the clearing. Ronan and Bane had come bursting through the trees, their flanks heaving and sweaty.

"Firenze!" Bane thundered. "What are you doing? You have a human on your back! And you too, Fusa! Have you no shame? Are you both common mules?"

"Do you realize who this is?" Firenze asked. "This is the Potter boy and his friend Toph. The quicker they leave this forest, the better."

Bane growled, "What have you been telling them? Remember, Firenze, we are sworn not to set ourselves against the heavens. Have we not read what is to come in the movements of the planets?"

"I'm sure Firenze thought he was acting for the best," he said in his gloomy voice, a pawing sound following his tone.

Bane kicked his back legs in anger.

"For the best!" Bane repeated furiously, kicking his back legs. "What is that to do with us? Centaurs are concerned with what has been foretold! It is not our business to run around like donkeys after stray humans in our forest!"

Firenze suddenly bellowed, "Do you not see that unicorn?! Do you not understand why it was killed?! Or have the planets not let you in on that secret? I set myself against what is lurking in this forest, Bane, yes, with humans alongside me if I must."

"Yes," Fusa added, her soft voice now hardened. "So watch your mouth."

And Firenze whisked around; with Harry clutching on as best he could, they plunged off into the trees, leaving Ronan and Bane behind them. They went their separate ways to try and find the others, Toph hanging onto the fur of Fusa's doe form.

"What's gotten Bane's tail in a twist?" Toph asked. "But anyways, what was that thing you saved me and Harry from, anyway?"

The female druid slowed to a walk and warned her to keep his head bowed from low-hanging branches, but she did not answer the question. They made their way through the trees in silence for so long that Toph thought Fusa did not want to talk. They were passing through a dense patch of trees, however, when Fusa suddenly stopped and finally spoke.

"Do you know what unicorn blood is used for?" she asked.

"Well...not really," Toph said, startled by the odd question. "I mean, we've only used the horn and tail hair in Potions...but I couldn't tell which is which."

Fusa sighed. "That's because it is a horrific thing, slaying a unicorn. Only one who has nothing to lose...and everything to gain...would commit such a sinful crime. The blood of a unicorn will keep you alive, even if you're almost dead, but at a terrible price. You have slain something pure and weak to save yourself, and you will have a half-life...a cursed life...from the moment your lips touch the blood."

Toph muttered, "I'm not weak. But who'd be that desperate?" she wondered aloud. "If you're going to be cursed forever, death'll be better, right?"

"Yes," Fusa said. "Unless all you need is to stay alive long enough to drink something else...a very certain something that will bring you back to full strength and power...something that will mean you can never die. Do you know what's hidden at the castle right now?"

"Wait...you mean the Sorcerer's Stone?" Toph asked, recalling Hermione telling her about it. With a nod from Fusa, she started, "But I don't understand who -"

"Can you think of nobody who has waited years to return to power, who has clung to life, awaiting their chance?"

But before Toph could say anything more, thinking of Fire Lord Ozai, she heard Sokka's voice call "Toph! You here?!"

Toph slid down the doe's back and onto the ground, only to be greeted by a hug and a noogie on the head. So she gave Sokka a friendly punch on the shoulder, and he gave her a nervous chuckle, rubbing his sore shoulder. Hermione and Harry came running toward them down the path after him, Hagrid puffing along behind her.

"I'm fine," Toph panted while Harry added, "The unicorn's dead, Hagrid; we saw it. It's in that clearing back there."

"This is where Fusa and I leave you," Firenze murmured as he trotted up to join Fusa. "You are safe now. Good luck, Harry Potter and friends. The planets have been read wrongly before now, even by centaurs. I hope this is one of those times."

At this, he and Fusa turned and cantered back into the depths of the forest, leaving the others shivering behind Toph and Harry.

**...**

Aang and Katara were sleeping next to each other in the Gryffindor common room, waiting for Sokka, Toph, Harry, and Hermione to come and hear how the detention went. They were leaning against each other, Katara resting her head on Aang's shoulder and a small serene smile on her face. The Avatar looked down at his girlfriend while Momo and Gin rested at their feet, happy to see the small "family" they had made: two humans, a lemur, and a dog.

Just then, a roar from the window caused Aang to get up gently and Katara to wake up. Aang was amazed to see Appa floating outside the window, the four others on his saddle as they walked carefully over to him. When they were let in, the Golden Trio had gathered on the sofas to talk while Team Avatar went out of the area.

"So Harry said that Snape wants the stone for Voldemort...and he's waiting in the forest," Sokka explained. "After all this time, we thought Snape just wanted to get rich fast. Firenze and Fusa saved Harry and Toph, but the other centaurs said they shouldn't have done so. They probably know that Voldemort's coming back. Bane thinks Firenze and Fusa should've let Voldemort kill him...I suppose that's written in the stars as well."

"So all we've gotta wait for now is Snape to steal the Stone," Toph went on busily. "...then Voldemort will be able to come and finish Harry off."

Katara frowned anxiously. "We can't let Voldemort kill Harry. We just can't."

After hearing all this, recalling when he went to Dumbledore's office one time, Aang realized he had a word of comfort. "You know what I heard? I heard that Dumbledore's the only person that Voldemort was ever afraid of. With Dumbledore around, he won't touch Harry. And when Voldemort comes around one day, we'll be there with Harry."

The words he had said had a slight positive effect on his friends. Katara gave him a smile and lightly kissed his lips, Sokka nodded without saying anything about oogies, and Toph just wore a satisfied smirk on her mouth. Noticing a golden light that lit up Sokka's "warrior wolf's tail", Aang realized that the sky had turned light before they stopped talking.

So they went to bed, exhausted. But before Aang could lie down in his bed, Momo started to chitter, sniffing at Harry's pillow and looking back at his master.

"Momo, what're you doing?" Aang asked with a grin. "That's Harry's bed."

Momo ducked under the pillow and brought out a small note in his mouth. So Aang got up and walked over to the lemur, plucking the note from his mouth before walking back. He saw that Momo was sniffing at a certain cloak...the Invisibility Cloak. Amazed, Aang looked back down at the note and saw what it said:

_Just in case_

_Just in case? _Aang thought in wonder. _You mean...we can use it again?_

_**To be continued...**_

**...**

**Wildstar93: Finally, we're done with this chapter! Once again, I'll say this: If there's any of their character that needs fixing, give me a private message about it, and I'll fix it. And to Angela again, thanks for your concerns, but there's a reason for the ratings. One more thing: Fusa's based off of the Night Elves from World Of Warcraft...and the Druid part.**

**So anyways, here's the review thing and the preview for the next chapter called In Through The Trapdoor. Therefore...read and review, folks! Those who do will get a virtual plush doll of your favorite character from either Harry Potter or Avatar: The Last AirBender. I don't allow flames on here, but advice and constructive criticism (like Angela's) are always welcome as long as it's not harsh.**

**Preview: The mystery about Fluffy and the Sorcerer's Stone draws even nearer right near the end of the school year. After getting new info from Hagrid and Dumbledore away, Harry comes up with an ultimate decision. Will Aang and the other six find their way through new traps to keep Snape from getting the Stone?**

**See ya next time!**


	18. The Sorcerer's Stone part 1

**AvatarCat13: Hey again, folks! Here's the finale of Avatar Aang And The Sorcerer's Stone! Well...it's the semi-finale since there'll be a final chapter after the climax and even an epilogue. But that'll stay a secret until much later.**

**Once again, I've procrastinated, and it's been stupid of me to keep you all in suspense. So I'm sorry, and we'll be getting back on the road. So Mardi Gras is in the air, and I'm a bit excited for it...though it's not really my favorite holiday. And to make sure I don't stray off the subject, here's the disclaimer.**

**One more thing: I hope you all liked this story so far, for I'm gonna make a sequel soon.**

**Disclaimer: These two series don't belong to me. They belong to these guys here: Michael DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko, and J.K. Rowling.**

**Summary: The mystery about Fluffy and the Sorcerer's Stone draws even nearer right near the end of the school year. After getting new info from Hagrid and Dumbledore away, Harry comes up with an ultimate decision. Will Aang and the other six find their way through new traps to keep Snape from getting the Stone?**

**Uploading Date: February 6, 2013**

**Enjoy!**

**...**

_**The Sorcerer's Stone (part 1)**_

The next morning, Aang and his friends left breakfast with Momo, who had taken to the air and flew after him. Even though Aang himself had tried his hardest to sleep, he had gotten some weird nightmares during the night. It was thanks to Sokka and Toph's tale about what happened in the Forbidden Forest that it all happened. His nightmares included a pair of red eyes appearing from the dark, fangs dripping with blood.

It had been blistering, especially in the classroom where they did their written papers. They had been given special quills for the exams, which had been bewitched with an Anti-Cheating spell. They had practical exams as well with examples. Flitwick called them one by one into his class to see if they could make a pineapple tap-dance across a desk, McGonagall watched them turn a mouse into a snuffbox, and Snape made them all nervous, breathing down their necks while they tried to remember how to make a Forgetfulness potion.

Aang did the best he could, trying to ignore the pain in his mind, which had been bothering him since last night. Maybe it was because they hadn't seen what Harry saw in the forest, or because they didn't have scars burning on their foreheads, but Aang was as worried about the Sorcerer's Stone as Harry was. The thought of seeing Voldemort scared him, for he didn't know what he looked like, but he tried to stay on the positive side.

Their very last exam had History of Magic. One hour of answering questions about wizards who invented self-stirring cauldrons, and that would be it. They would have a great week until their results came back. When the ghost of Professor Binns told them to put down their quills and roll up their parchment, Team Avatar couldn't help cheering with the Golden Trio.

"Now the tests are done," Aang murmured as they joined the crowd heading out to the sunny grounds. He turned to Momo sitting on his shoulder and added, "Time to celebrate, Momo."

"Don't forget us," Katara told him playfully, kissing his cheek. "We can all celebrate together."

"That was far easier than I thought it would be," Hermione said. "I needn't have learned about the 1637 Werewolf Code of Conduct or the uprising of Elfric the Eager."

She always liked to go through their exam papers afterward, but Ron said it made him feel sick, so they wandered down to the lake and flopped under a tree. The Weasley twins and Lee Jordan were tickling the tentacles of a giant squid, which was basking in the warm shallows. Aang saw that Appa was hovering above the lake, pawing at a raised tentacle and roaring.

"No more studying," Ron sighed happily, stretching out on the grass. "You could look more cheerful, Harry, we've got a week before we find out how badly we've done. There's no need to worry yet."

Sokka nodded. "Yeah. Just sit back and watch the clouds, buddy. Nothing to worry about."

Harry was rubbing his forehead as he burst out angrily, "I wish I knew what this means! My scar keeps hurting...it's happened before, but never as often as this."

Hermione gave him a worried look. "Go to Madam Pomfrey."

"I'm not ill," Harry replied. "I think it's a warning...it means danger's coming..."

"Kinda reminds me of Aang's Avatar State," Toph remarked. "But I don't think Twinkletoes had it tell him that danger's coming." Turning to Aang, she asked, "Has that Avatar State of yours alerted you of danger?"

Aang shrugged. "I have no clue."

Ron said, "Harry, relax; they're right. The Stone's safe as long as Dumbledore's around. Anyway, we've never had any proof Snape found out how to get past Fluffy. He nearly had his leg ripped off once, so he's not going to try it again in a hurry. And Neville will play Quidditch for England before Hagrid lets Dumbledore down."

Hearing this, Aang nodded, but he couldn't shake off a feeling that there was something he had to do, something important. But he was sure the unsettled feeling didn't have anything to do with work. He watched an owl flutter toward the school across the bright blue sky, a note in its beak, and recalled how Hagrid had always sent Harry letters. Hagrid would never tell anyone how to get past Fluffy...never. But still...

As if reading Aang's mind, Harry suddenly jumped to his feet along with him.

"Where are you going?" Ron asked sleepily as Sokka and Katara nudged him to his feet.

"I've just thought of something," Harry replied. "We've got to go and see Hagrid, now."

"Why?" Hermione panted, hurrying to keep up.

All seven of them scrambled up the grassy slope as Harry explained, "Don't you think it's a bit odd that what Hagrid wants more than anything else is a dragon, and a stranger turns up who just happens to have an egg in his pocket? How many people wander around with dragon eggs if it's against wizard law? Lucky they found Hagrid, don't you think? Why didn't I see it before?"

"So you're saying that this stranger wanted to find Hagrid on purpose?" Sokka asked. Ron asked him something else, but Harry, running across the grounds toward the forest, didn't answer.

They found Hagrid sitting in an armchair outside his house; his trousers and sleeves were rolled up, and he was shelling peas into a large bowl. Gin, who had went outside to hang out with him, lifted his head from his paws and barked when he saw his master and her friends.

"Hey Hagrid!" Katara called. Gin raced over to her and jumped on her, laying his forepaws on her shoulders and licking her face.

"Hullo," Hagrid said, smiling as Momo flew over to pluck a peach out of his giant offering hand. "Finished yer exams? Got time fer a drink?"

"Yes please," Ron said as Toph agreed with him.

"No, we're in a hurry," Harry told them. "Hagrid, I've got to ask you something. You know that night you won Norbert? What did the stranger you were playing cards with look like?"

Hagrid shrugged. "Dunno; he wouldn' take his cloak off." He saw the three of them look stunned and raised his eyebrows. "It's not that unusual; yeh get a lot o' funny folk in the Hog's Head, and that's the pub down in the village. Mighta bin a dragon dealer, mightn' he? I never saw his face, he kept his hood up."

Aang sat down with Harry next to the bowl of peas. "What did you talk to him about, Hagrid?" he asked. "Did you mention Hogwarts at all?"

"Mighta come up," Hagrid replied, frowning. "Yeah...he asked what I did, and I told 'im I was gamekeeper here. He asked a bit about the sorta creatures I took after, so I told him. And I said what I'd always really wanted was a dragon...an' then...I can't remember too well 'cause he kept buyin' me drinks. Let's see...yeah, then he said he had the dragon egg and we could play cards fer it if I wanted, but he had ter be sure I could handle it; he didn't want it ter go ter any old home. So I told him, after Fluffy, a dragon would be easy."

"And did he...seem interested in Fluffy?" Harry asked, trying to keep his voice calm.

Hagrid shrugged his wide shoulders. "Well...yeah. How many three-headed dogs do yeh meet, even around Hogwarts? So I told him, Fluffy's a piece o' cake if yeh know how to calm him down, just play him a bit o' music and he'll go straight off ter sleep..." Then he suddenly looked horrified as he muttered, "I shouldn'ta told yeh that. Forget I said it. Hey...where're yeh goin'?"

For they headed off back to the castle. Aang could not believe it; Snape must have wanted to get that information to sneak past Fluffy and steal the Stone. They needed to tell Dumbledore about this, and this could help them in their mission.

The seven of them didn't speak to each other at all until they came to a halt in the entrance hall, which seemed very cold and gloomy after the grounds. Then Harry turned to them and said, "We've got to go to Dumbledore. Hagrid told that stranger how to get past Fluffy, and it was either Snape or Voldemort under that cloak; it must've been easy, once he'd got Hagrid drunk. I just hope Dumbledore believes us. Firenze might back us up if Bane doesn't stop him. Where's Dumbledore's office?"

"Why don't we split up and find it?" Sokka suggested. "That way, we won't all be seen together and be cast in suspicion?"

"And we can meet up here once we're done searching," Katara added.

So they looked around, as if hoping to see a sign pointing them in the right direction. They had never been told where Dumbledore lived, nor did they know anyone who was sent to see him. Even Toph, whose seismic senses were strong enough to have found Ozai's secret hideout, could not detect the old headmaster's office.

Once they got back, they gave their reports. Harry then said, "Okay, we'll forget that. We'll just have to-"

"What are you three doing inside?" a voice suddenly rang across the hall.

All seven of them turned to see who it was that interrupted them. It was Professor McGonagall, carrying a large pile of books in both arms.

"We want to see Professor Dumbledore," Hermione said rather bravely. Aang had to admire the way she looked courageously up at the professor.

"See Professor Dumbledore?" McGonagall repeated, as if it was a very fishy thing to do. "Why?"

Aang gave a small gulp while Katara held his hand with hers. Now what would they do?

"It's sort of secret," Harry said.

But Aang saw that he shouldn't have said that, for McGonagall's nostrils flared, a sign that she was getting slightly irritated. Then she replied coldly, "Professor Dumbledore left ten minutes ago. He received an urgent owl from the Ministry of Magic and flew off for London at once."

"To London?" Aang asked. He and Katara had seen London a few times when they stayed with Harry for the past summer.

"He's gone?!" Harry yelped frantically. "Now?!"

"Yes. Professor Dumbledore is a very great wizard, Potter," McGonagall told him. "He has many demands on his time."

Harry shook his head. "But this is important."

McGonagall's green eyes narrowed. "Something you have to say is more important than the Ministry of Magic, Potter?"

Harry now looked uncertain, so Aang decided to help him and throw caution to the winds, He said, "Professor, this is gonna sound unlikely, but...it's about the Sorcerer's Stone."

Whatever McGonagall had expected, it wasn't that. The books she was carrying tumbled out of her arms, but she didn't pick them up.

"H-How do you know...?" she spluttered.

"Professor, we think-" Aang started to say.

"I know that Sn..." But Harry backtracked right away, "...that someone's going to try and steal the Stone. We've got to talk to Professor Dumbledore."

"We got our sources," Sokka added. "But we can't say where or it won't be secret anymore."

She eyed him with a mix of shock and doubt. "Professor Dumbledore will be back tomorrow," she said finally. "I don't know how you found out about the Stone, but rest assured, no one can possibly steal it. It's too well protected."

Harry yelped, "But Professor...!"

"Potter, I know what I'm talking about," she said shortly. She bent down and gathered up the fallen books, adding, "I suggest you all go back outside and enjoy the sunshine."

But they didn't. And as soon as she was out of earshot, Katara muttered, "How can she say all of that when she sent you and Hermione into the Forest at night?"

"I have no idea," Harry replied. "But it's tonight. Snape's going through the trapdoor tonight. He's found out everything he needs, and now he's got Dumbledore out of the way. He sent that note, and I bet the Ministry of Magic will get a real shock when Dumbledore turns up."

"But what can we do to stop him?" Sokka asked. "We're students, after all."

Toph nudged his shoulder. "Oh, come on, Snoozles. Where's the tough meat-loving guy we all know and love?" Then she added seriously, "But I think we should stay on guard. That way, we can keep an eye on Snape and-"

Hermione gasped, and the other six wheeled round.

Snape was standing there, staring down at them and saying smoothly, "Good afternoon."

They did not reply.

"You shouldn't be inside on a day like this," he said, an odd twisted smile on his face.

"We were just..." Harry began.

So Katara quickly said, "We were just going to go rest in the common room for a bit. I mean, it IS hot out there."

Snape looked at her before looking back at Harry. "You want to be more careful. Hanging around like this, people will think you're up to something. And Gryffindor really can't afford to lose any more points, can it? Neither can Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff."

Aang saw Sokka and Toph go red from humiliation at this. He recalled when they had to go into the Forbidden Forest and lost those points because of Norbert.

They turned to go outside, but Snape called them back. "Be warned, Potter: any more nighttime wanderings and I will personally make sure you are expelled. Good day to you."

He strode off in the direction of the staffroom. Out on the stone steps, Harry turned to the others.

"Right, here's what we've got to do," he whispered urgently. "One of us has got to keep an eye on Snape; wait outside the staff room and follow him if he leaves it. Hermione, Katara, and Sokka, you'd better do that."

"Why us?"

Ron answered, "It's obvious. You can pretend to be waiting for Professor Flitwick, you know." He put on a high voice and mimicked, "'Oh Professor Flitwick, I'm so worried! I think I got question fourteen b wrong!'"

"Oh, shut up," Hermione said.

Sokka had an amused grin on his face. "Come on, it's true! I mean, you and Katara ARE the smartest gals we know." He put on a fake teary voice as he mimicked, "'Professor, this test was so hard! It's making me TearBend!'"

Katara glared at him. "Compare me to that witch again and I'll freeze your lips together."

"Got it," her brother squeaked.

"And we'd better stay outside the third-floor corridor," Harry told the others. "Come on."

So Aang and Toph went with Hermione to the staff room, where Toph sank her fingers into the stone walls to feel the vibrations. Aang doubted he could do just the same as his EarthBending teacher, but he thanked the spirits he had rather big ears...much to his reluctance. Hermione, in the meantime, had really offered to stay around for anyone else to arrive, Katara and Sokka standing by her side.

But that didn't work. As they reached the door separating Fluffy from the school, McGonagall arrived, and she lost her temper. She stormed, "I suppose you think you're harder to get past than a pack of charms! Enough of this nonsense! If I hear you've come anywhere near here again, I'll take another fifty points from Gryffindor and Hufflepuff! Yes, Weasley, from my own House!"

Ron looked shocked about it, but Toph nudged his side, muttering, "Don't push it. Would you rather be out of trouble than having an old lady taking more points off?"

They didn't want to make her angrier, so they had no choice and went back to the common room. Once they made it back, Harry said, "At least the others are on Snape's tail."

"Yeah," Aang replied as the four of them sat down. "Besides, what could possibly go wrong?"

But when he said that, the portrait of the Fat Lady swung open, and Hermione came in. She looked teary-eyed, and Katara and Sokka were trying to calm her down.

"I'm sorry, Harry!" she wailed. "Snape came out and asked us what we were doing, so I said we were waiting for Flitwick, and Snape went to get him, and we've only just got away! I don't know where Snape went!"

Sokka patted her arm. "It's fine, Hermione. I would've done the same thing."

Hermione looked up at him hopefully. "Really?"

"...no."

"Well, that's it then, isn't it?" Harry said, standing up. His green eyes were glittering as he went on, "I'm going out of here tonight, and I'm going to try and get to the Stone first."

This left Aang in shock. Did Harry really suggest going after the Stone, after he promised himself never to meddle in things? He could feel another adventure brewing on the horizon, but the others didn't really think so.

"You're mad!" Ron yelped.

Toph's eyes widened. "Really?"

"You can't!" Hermione said. "After what McGonagall and Snape have said? You'll be expelled!"

Then...Harry roared, "SO WHAT?! Don't you understand?! If Snape gets hold of the Stone, Voldemort's coming back! Haven't you heard what it was like when he was trying to take over? There won't be any Hogwarts to get expelled from! He'll flatten it or turn it into a school for the Dark Arts! Losing points doesn't matter anymore, can't you see?! Do you think he'll leave you and your families alone if Gryffindor wins the House Cup?! If I get caught before I can get to the Stone, well, I'll have to go back to the Dursleys and wait for Voldemort to find me there; it's only dying a bit later than I would have, because I'm never going over to the Dark Side! I'm going through that trapdoor tonight, and nothing you say is going to stop me! Voldemort killed my parents, remember?!"

Aang was amazed by how passionate Harry sounded when he gave this rousing speech. This just reminded him of how he reacted when the Fire Nation killed off all the Air Nomads and the time of how he reassured the troops of the eclipse invasion. Understanding Harry's feelings, he got up from his seat and stood beside him.

Finally, Hermione said in a small voice, "You're right, Harry."

"If you want to save the Stone..." Katara had a slightly determined look on her face. "...then we won't stop you. Aang and I hope you get there first."

"I'll use the Invisibility Cloak," Harry said. "It's just lucky I got it back."

"But will it cover all of us?" Ron asked.

Harry gaped at him. "All...all of us?"

Ron nodded. "Oh, come off it, you don't think we'd let you go alone?"

"Of course not," Hermione said smartly. "How do you think you'd get to the Stone without us? I'd better go and took through my books; there might be something useful..."

"But if we get caught, you two will be expelled too," Harry said.

Hermione shook her head. "Not if I can help it. Flitwick told me in secret that I got a hundred and twelve percent on his exam. They're not throwing me out after that."

Sokka nodded in approval. "That's really great! But first...how do we get another Invisibility Cloak? Harry's got the only one we know!"

"And besides, how do we even fit under one cloak?" Aang added. "Unless it can expand by some sort of miracle."

Harry replied, "Then we might have to do something to expand it."

**...**

After dinner, Aang, Katara, and the Golden Trio sat nervously apart in the common room. Nobody bothered them; none of the Gryffindors had anything to say to Harry any more, after all. They had glared at the Boy Who Lived before they left, and Aang could have sworn Momo was giving them one as well in his own lemur way. Hermione was scanning through her notes, trying to come across one of the charms they were about to try to break. Harry and Ron didn't talk much, but Aang and Katara thought much of the challenged ahead.

Slowly, the room emptied as people drifted off to bed. "Better get the cloak," Ron muttered as Lee Jordan finally left.

Harry ran upstairs to their dark dormitory while Aang recalled what they did with the cloak. Hermione had used a complicated spell that made all seven of them fit under it. Harry would be in the lead while the others would stick beside each other in pairs. As Harry arrived, he was holding the flute Hagrid had given him for Christmas; perhaps he was going to use it on Fluffy. Sokka and Toph came in at the right moment, getting prepared.

_Let's do this, _Aang thought, twirling his staff around and placing it in its pouch on his back. Katara had done the same with her WaterBending pouch, as did Sokka with his boomerang and Toph with her space earth in the form of a mace. _Yep. Team Avatar is back!_

"We'd better put the cloak on here, and make sure it covers all three of us," Harry told them all. "If Filch spots one of our feet wandering along on its own..."

Aang said, "Then we blow our cover. So what we do is-"

"What are you doing?" a voice said from the corner of the room.

Neville had just appeared from behind an armchair, clutching Trevor. The toad looked as if had tried to make another bid for freedom.

"Nothing, Neville, nothing," Harry said, hurriedly putting the cloak behind his back.

But Neville stared at their guilty faces and gasped, "You're going out again."

Sokka chuckled nervously, "No way! You know what's coming out of your mouth now? Crazy talk! It's crazy talk that's coming out."

"He's right; we're not sneaking out," Hermione added. "Why don't you go to bed, Neville?"

Aang looked around at the grandfather clock by the door and gave a small groan. They couldn't afford to waste any more time, since Snape might even now be playing Fluffy to sleep. But now that Neville was standing in their way, they couldn't wait anymore.

"You can't go out!" Neville yelped, still standing in their way. "You'll be caught again. Gryffindor will be in even more trouble."

"You don't understand," Harry said. "This is important."

Aang stepped forth to stand beside him. "He's right, Neville. You can't stop us from doing what we can to protect Hogwarts."

But Neville was clearly steeling himself to do something desperate. I won't let you do it," he said, hurrying to stand in front of the portrait hole. "I'll...I'll fight you!"

"Neville, "Ron sighed irritably. "Get away from that hole and don't be an idiot-"

"Don't you call me an idiot!" Neville barked. "I don't think you should be breaking any more rules! And you were the one who told me to stand up to people!"

Ron retorted in exasperation, "Yes, but not to US. Neville, you don't know what you're doing."

Toph said, "Yeah, Sad-Eyes. Step away from the hole and we won't hurt you back."

She took a step forward, and Neville dropped Trevor the toad, who leapt out of sight. "Go on then, try and hit me!" he said, raising his fists and aiming them at her. "I'm ready!"

Toph dodged the flying fist just in time, but the angry look on her face told Aang that she was running out of patience. As if feeling the same thing, Harry turned to Hermione and whispered urgently, "Do something."

_Yes, please, _Aang thought in agreement. _The Sorcerer's Stone might be taken away, and Neville's keeping us from it. We have to do something._

Hermione stepped forward and sighed, "Neville, I'm really sorry about this."

She raised her wand, and so did Katara. Then they pointed their wands at Neville and cried in unison, _"Petrificus Totalus!"_

Neville's arms snapped to his sides as his legs sprang together. His whole body rigid, he swayed where he stood and then fell flat on his face, looking as stiff as a board. Hermione and Katara ran over to turn him over. His jaws were jammed together so he couldn't speak, but only his eyes were moving, looking at them in horror.

"What've you done to him?" Harry whispered.

"Yeah," Aang added, staring on in shock; he hadn't seen his girlfriend use a wand outside of lessons. "What'd you two do?"

"It's the full Body-Bind," Hermione replied miserably. "Oh Neville, we're so sorry."

Katara nodded, kneeling down to meet Neville's eyes. "We really are. We had no choice."

"We had to, Neville, no time to explain," Harry added.

"You'll understand later, Neville," Ron said as the seven of them stepped over him and pulled on the Invisibility Cloak.

Sokka looked at Hermione in shock. "You're scary, Hermione. Awesome...but scary."

Hermione nodded, though she still looked spooked at what she and Katara did. As they were about to leave through the portrait hole, Team Avatar turned to murmur things like "Sorry" and "We're so sorry" to him, "It's for your own good, you know" coming from Sokka. Yet this earned him a kick from an indignant Katara and a shoulder punch from Toph. So they went out of the picture hole and went on their way.

But leaving Neville lying still on the floor didn't feel good. In their nervous state, every statue's shadow looked like Filch, every distant breath of wind sounded like Peeves swooping down on them. At the foot of the first set of stairs, they spotted Mrs. Norris skulking near the top, sniffing stuff (or students) out.

"Oh, let's kick her, just this once," Ron whispered in Harry's ear.

"No!" Aang hissed quickly. "First off, it'll get us all into big trouble. And second, you can't kick an animal!"

Ron glared at him, but Katara quickly said, "He loves animals. Please don't kick Mrs. Norris in front of him."

But when she turned around, Toph whispered, "But if you want, you can kick Mrs. Norris in private."

As they climbed carefully around her, Mrs. Norris turned her lamp-like eyes on them, but didn't do anything. It appeared she thought someone else was around, but she couldn't see them. So she gave a meow and trotted off, her long dusty-brown fur catching dust.

They didn't meet anyone else until they reached the staircase up to the third floor. Peeves was bobbing halfway up, loosening the carpet so that people would trip over it.

"Who's there?" he called suddenly, narrowing his wicked black eyes. "Know you're there, even if I can't see you. Are you ghoulie or ghostie or wee student beastie?" He rose up and floated there, squinting at them. "Should call Filch, I should, if something's a-creeping around unseen."

Aang had no idea what to do. He thought of calling one of his former lives to come around and confront this imp, but he held it back. He didn't want to upset his former lives by calling them just to deal with a tricky demon. But before he could think of something else for them to do, something else happened.

"Peeves." Aang jumped at the sound of a hoarse whisper. But it was just Harry, croaking. "The Bloody Baron has his own reasons for being invisible."

Peeves almost fell out of the air in shock. He hovered about a foot off the stairs, saying greasily, "So sorry, your bloodiness, Mr. Baron, Sir. My mistake, my mistake...I didn't see you...of course I didn't, you're invisible...forgive old Peevsie his little joke, sir."

Harry croaked, "I have business here, Peeves. Stay away from this place tonight."

"I will, sir, I most certainly will," the poltergeist said, rising up in the air again. "Hope your business goes well, Baron. I'll not bother you."

And he zoomed away.

"Brilliant, Harry!" Ron whispered in awe.

"Wow...you sure showed him," Toph remarked. "How about you teach me that sometime?"

So they walked on, not running into any more trouble along the way. A few seconds later, they were finally outside the third-floor corridor...and the door was already partly open. Snape must have already snuck inside while they all weren't looking.

"Well, there you are," Harry said quietly. "Snape's already got past Fluffy."

Seeing the open door seemed to impress upon all seven of them what was facing them. Aang knew they whatever was waiting for them in the trapdoor would be the toughest challenges they had faced for two years. Of course fighting Ozai was even more challenging, but he knew he would have to fight the former Fire Lord. But as for the trapdoor, he didn't know what was down there; this was going to be the hardest mission he had been on in months.

Underneath the cloak, Harry turned to the others. "If you six want to go back, I won't blame you. You can take the cloak; I won't need it now."

"Going back?" Sokka asked in disbelief. "Why on earth would we wanna do that for?"

"Don't be stupid," Ron said.

"We're coming," Hermione added.

Katara nodded. "They're right, Harry. We're with you until the end."

Aang agreed with her as he brought out his AirBending staff. "So let's do this," he finished with a smile.

Thanks to the confidence, Harry pushed the door open. It was time for all seven of them to face whatever was through the trapdoor.

_**To be continued...**_

**...**

**AvatarCat13: Here we go. It's a three-parter, meaning that there'll be three parts for the ending of Avatar Aang And The Sorcerer's Stone. So the ending is getting near...and that means there'll be a sequel after this.**

**But anyways, Mardi Gras is near, a time for parades and goodies tossed to you from parade floats. It'll also be a time for my mom to get drunk...but I won't go into details here. And Valentine's Day is near...but I'm not into it since my ex-girlfriend and I broke up years ago. Now I like Valentine's Day for the candy...that, and my family, which is more important than the candy.**

**Read and review, folks! Those who do will get a virtual figurine of Kyurem, Keldeo, and the other three Swords Of Justice with virtual pizzas; the pizzas will come with any topping you choose and will be sent to you right after the preview. I don't allow flames, but I allow advice and constructive criticism as long as it's not harsh. And here's the preview for The Sorcerer's Stone part 2.**

**Preview: The gang is already through the trapdoor, where many challenges lay ahead. Will the Benders help the Golden Trio through the puzzle with their skills? And what awaits them at the end of the challenges?**

**See ya next time! And Happy early Mardi Gras!**


	19. The Sorcerer's Stone part 2

**AvatarCat13: Hey there, folks! Once again, this is a new chapter of Avatar Aang And The Sorcerer's Stone. We're getting near the climax every minute! To let you guys know, I've fused the rest of chapter 17 and some of chapter 18 together to bring out the climax very quickly; hope you don't mind.**

**So anyways, tomorrow is President's Day, and I'm gonna try to be in the mood for it. But still, it's nice to be with my family on President's Day...though I'm sure the house will go crazy with six dogs during the day. So yeah, there you have it.**

**And finally, here's the disclaimer.**

**Disclaimer: These two series will never belong to me, and I don't want to own them; I like to be surprised. They belong to Michael DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko, and J.K. Rowling.**

**Summary: ****The gang is already through the trapdoor, where many challenges lay ahead. Will the Benders help the Golden Trio through the puzzle with their skills? And what awaits them at the end of the challenges?**

**Uploading Date: February 18, 2013**

**Enjoy!**

**...**

_**The Sorcerer's Stone (part 2)**_

As the door creaked, low, rumbling growls met their ears. And once they were inside, Aang saw the monstrous three-headed dog lying asleep on the floor, though it looked as intimidating as ever. All three of the dog's noses sniffed madly in their direction, even though it couldn't see them. He did not want to face this beast again, but if they got it to sleep some more, it would be easy.

Next to Aang, Katara and Sokka were staring at the dog with shock and fear, and he remembered why. They weren't with them when they met it for the first time, so coming across Fluffy for the first time was quite a shocker.

"What's that at its feet?" Hermione whispered.

Aang looked down at the dog's paws. There was a harp lying there, a golden harp he had often heard back when they celebrated Christmas at Hogwarts.

"Looks like a harp," Ron replied. "Snape must've left it there."

"It must wake up the moment you stop playing," Harry concluded. He gave a small gulp and pulled out the flute, saying, "Well, here goes..."

He put Hagrid's flute to his lips and blew. Aang could tell that it wasn't really a tune, but from the first note, the beast's eyes began to droop. Slowly, its growls ceased as it tottered on its paws and fell to its knees, and then it slumped to the ground, fast asleep. By the way the beast sounded as it snored, it was snoring as loudly as a bison.

"Keep playing," Ron warned Harry.

"And don't stop at any costs," Sokka added. "Except maybe to breathe."

Aang felt Katara cling to his shoulders as they and the others slipped out of the cloak and crept toward the trapdoor. They could feel the dog's hot smelly breath as they approached the giant heads and froze. Each head was around the size of a wolf, but this three-headed dog was worse than a pack of wolves in the middle of the forest.

Ron peered over the dog's back. "I think we'll be able to pull the door open. Wanna go first, Hermione?"

"No, I don't!"

"All right."

Ron gritted his teeth as he and Sokka stepped carefully over the dog's giant legs. They both bent and pulled the ring of the trapdoor, which swung up and open.

"What can you see?" Hermione said anxiously.

Toph glared down at the hole and retorted, "Just darkness. That's all _I _ever see."

"She's right," Ron added, ignoring her sarcasm. "Nothing...just black. There's no way of climbing down; we'll just have to drop."

Harry, who was still playing the flute, waved at Ron to get his attention and pointed at himself.

"You want to go first? Are you sure?" the red-haired boy asked.

Sokka looked down the hole before looking up. "Who knows how deep this thing goes? Give the flute to Hermione so she can keep him asleep."

So Harry handed the flute over, and Hermione began to play the instrument. In the few seconds' silence, the dog growled and twitched as it started to wake up, but the moment Hermione began to play, it fell back into its deep sleep. Aang felt a sense of relief in his bones; he did not want that dog to wake up and come after them as its extra snack.

Harry climbed over it and looked down through the trapdoor, Aang beside him. There was no sign of the bottom. Aang watched on while Harry lowered himself through the hole until he was hanging on by his fingertips. Then he looked up at Ron and said, "If anything happens to me and Aang, don't follow. Go straight to the Owlery and send Hedwig to Dumbledore, right?"

"Right," Ron replied.

**(Author's Note: Try saying that three times fast.)**

"See you in a minute, I hope...come on, Aang."

And Harry let go while Aang dropped in after him. Cold damp air rushed past them as they fell down, down, down and...FUMP. With a funny muffled thump, Aang felt his feet land on something soft. He sat up and felt around, his dark gray eyes not used to the gloom. It felt like he was sitting on some sort of plant back in the Foggy Swamp.

"It's okay!" Aang called up to the light the size of a postage stamp, which was the open trapdoor. "It's a soft landing; you can jump!"

Ron and Toph followed them right away. Aang heard them as they landed on the weird plant, sprawled next to him and Harry.

"What's this stuff?" were his first words.

Through the dark, Aang could see a look of disgust form on Toph's face. "Yeah, it's gross," the blind EarthBender grumbled. "What is this junk?"

"Dunno, some sort of plant thing," Harry replied. "I suppose it's here to break the fall. Come on, you guys!" he called up to the other three.

To Aang's horror, the distant music stopped. There was a loud bark from the dog, but Hermione and the Water Tribe siblings had already jumped. Hermione landed on Harry's other side while Katara and Sokka landed next to Aang, Sokka looking disgusted at a large glop of giant dog saliva on his shoulder.

"Oh, COME ON!" the Water Tribe warrior roared up to the dog. "Does karma like to hit me this much?! Why not fry me up now and serve me with chips?!"

"Shush!" Hermione hissed to him. To the others, she said, "We must be miles under the school."

"Lucky this plant thing's here, really," Ron said.

Suddenly, Hermione shrieked, "Lucky! Look at you!"

She then leapt up and struggled toward a damp wall, struggling because as she landed, the plant had started to twist snakelike tendrils around her ankles. As for the others, their legs had already been bound tightly in long creepers without their noticing. Aang was shocked; perhaps there were some plants that were mean after all.

Hermione had managed to free herself before the plant got a firm grip on her. Now she watched in horror as the rest fought to pull the plant off them, but the more they strained against it, the tighter and faster the plant wound around them. Aang tried to squirm his way out due to his thin frame, but the plant wrapped itself more around him.

"Stop moving!" Hermione ordered them. "I know what this is...it's Devil's Snare!"

"Oh, I'm so glad we know what it's called! That's a great help!" Ron snarled, leaning back to try and stop the plant from curling around his neck.

"Shut up; I'm trying to remember how to kill it!" Hermione retorted.

"Well, hurry up...I can't breathe!" Harry gasped as it curled around his chest.

As the Benders struggled, Sokka tried swiping at the plant with his machete, growling in panic and anger. Seeing Aang not struggling, he snapped, "What's wrong, Aang?! Are you gonna say that I should respect these plants as well?!"

Aang shook his head. "No...this is one plant I don't like!" He winced as Sokka swipe his machete at a stray vine, still not liking to see plants attacked, but not this one.

"Devil's Snare, Devil's Snare...what did Professor Sprout say?" Hermione muttered. "It likes the dark and the damp..."

"So light a fire!" Harry choked.

"Yes, of course...but there's no wood!" Hermione cried, wringing her hands.

"HAVE YOU GONE MAD?!" Ron bellowed. "ARE YOU A WITCH OR NOT?!"

"Oh, right!"

So she whipped out her wand, waved it, muttered something, and sent a jet of the same bluebell flames she used on Snape at the plant. In seconds, Aang and the others felt it loosening its grip as it cringed away from the light and warmth. Wriggling and flailing, it unraveled itself from their bodies, and they were able to pull free. They joined her by the wall, wiping sweat off their faces.

Yet they saw Sokka struggling and yelling, his eyes bugging out. Aang could see his legs thrashing around in the air and gave a small sigh. "He's not relaxing, is he?"

Hermione also sighed. "Apparently not, Aang."

So the Avatar pulled fire from a nearby torch and whirled it around until it became a medium-sized flame. He sent it towards the Devil's Snare, hearing a loud unearthly scream come from nowhere, and he saw Katara and Harry lean forth to pull Sokka out of there.

"Lucky you pay attention in Herbology, Hermione," Harry panted as Sokka found his footing.

"Yeah," Ron added. "And lucky Harry doesn't lose his head in a crisis. 'There's no wood,' honestly."

Sokka then asked, "Can I ask a question? Hermione, how come the flames you sent at the plant didn't free me, but it did when Aang did it?"

Toph shrugged. "I guess the world's still trying to prove you wrong."

"This way," Harry said as he pointed down a stone passageway, the only way forward.

All they heard apart from their footsteps was the gentle drip of water trickling down the walls. The hall sloped downward, and Aang was slightly reminded of the Cave Of Two Lovers, where he and Katara had their first kiss. With an unpleasant jolt in his heart, he remembered the giant badger moles said to be guarding the tunnels with EarthBending. If they met one, a fully-grown dragon...Toph could handle them, but not the Avatar.

"Can you hear something?" Ron whispered.

Aang listened, hearing soft rustling and clinking from up ahead.

"Do you think it's a ghost?" Katara asked, looking around.

"I don't know..." Toph replied. "Sounds like wings to me."

Aang narrowed his gray eyes and saw something ahead. "Hey, there's light ahead. I can see something moving."

They reached the end of the passageway and saw before them a brilliantly lit chamber, its ceiling arching high above them. It was full of small jewel-bright birds, fluttering and gliding all around the room. On the opposite side of the chamber was a heavy wooden door and some brooms right near it.

"Do you think they'll attack us if we cross the room?" Ron asked.

"Probably," said Harry. "They don't look very vicious, but I suppose if they all swooped down at once...well, there's no other choice...I'll run."

Aang asked, "What do you think would happen if I used AirBending on them? But I'd hate to hurt a bird."

Sokka shrugged dismissively. "I have no idea. Besides, it's not as if the birds are telling you 'Please don't AirBend at us!' That'd be pretty weird."

Aang took a deep breath, covered his face with his arms, and sprinted with Harry across the room. He expected to feel sharp beaks and talons to come tearing at them at any second, but nothing happened. They both reached the door untouched, and Harry pulled the handle, but it was locked.

The other two followed him. They tugged and heaved at the door, but it wouldn't budge, not even when Hermione tried her Alohomora charm.

"Well, this sucks," Toph sighed, sitting down.

"These birds...they can't be here just for decoration," Hermione said.

Aang joined his friends as they watched the birds soaring overhead, flapping their colored wings and glittering..._wait a minute... _Aang realized. _Glittering? Birds don't glitter..._

"They're not birds!" Harry said suddenly. "They're keys! Winged keys...look carefully. So that must mean..." He looked around the chamber while the others squinted up at the flock of flying keys. "...yes, look! Broomsticks! We've got to catch the key to the door!"

Katara replied, "But there must be hundreds of them!"

"How do we know which one to get?" Hermione added.

Ron examined the lock on the door. "We're looking for a big old-fashioned one...probably silver, like the handle." To the Benders, he asked, "And what about you guys?"

"I'll join you," Aang said, whipping out his staff. He made the wings come out before adding, "I've got good flying skills, remember?"

"Oh yeah..." Ron chuckled a bit. Then he got serious as he said, "Let's do this."

They each seized a broomstick (Toph wrapping her arms around Sokka's waist to hang on) and kicked off into the air, soaring into the midst of the cloud of keys. Aang felt Katara wrap her arms around his neck to keep herself up, but she had one hand stretched out in case she could grab the right key. They all grabbed and snatched, but the bewitched keys darted and dived so quickly it was almost impossible to catch one.

Not for nothing, though, was Harry the youngest Seeker in a century. After living with him for the summer, Aang knew he had a knack for spotting things other people didn't. After a minute's weaving about through the whirl of rainbow feathers, he saw a large silver key that had a bent wing, as if it was recently caught and stuffed roughly into the keyhole.

"That one!" Harry called. "That big one there...no, there...with bright blue wings; the feathers are all crumpled on one side."

Ron went speeding in the direction that Harry was pointing, crashed into the ceiling, and nearly fell off his broom. Sokka called nearby, "So? What do we do about it?"

Harry called, his eyes still on the key, "We've got to close in on it! Ron, Aang, and Katara, you come at it from above. Hermione, Sokka, and Toph, stay below and stop it from going down, and I'll try and catch it. Right...NOW!"

Ron and Sokka dove, Hermione and Aang sped upward, yet the key dodged them both. Harry flew after it as it sped toward the wall. Quickly, Harry leaned forth and, with a nasty crunching noise, pinned it against the stone with one hand. Aang joined the others in cheering at their voices echoed around the high chamber. Harry surely was a skilled flier; he even wished he was part AirBender.

They landed quickly as they keys barraged them, and Harry ran to the door, the key struggling in his hand. He rammed it into the lock and turned...and it worked. The moment the lock clicked open, the key took flight again, looking very battered now that it had been caught twice.

"Ready?" Harry asked the others, his hand on the door handle.

They nodded, and he pulled the door open.

The next chamber was so dark they couldn't see anything at all...not even a lemur could see this well in the dark. But as they stepped into it, firelight suddenly flooded the room to reveal an astonishing sight...while the keys behind them dug into the closed door behind them.

They were standing on the edge of a huge chessboard, behind the black chessmen, which were all taller than they were and carved from what looked like black stone. Facing them, way across the chamber, were the white pieces. Aang, Harry, and the others shivered slightly, for the tall white chessmen had no faces.

_This is like the Wizarding chess Ron talks much about, _Aang realized. But these were bigger than the ones Harry and Ron played; they were the size of an adolescent flying bison and seemed twice as heavy.

"Now what do we do?" Harry whispered.

"It's obvious, isn't it?" Ron said, spotting a door behind the white pieces. "We've got to play our way across the room."

"Play across?" Toph asked. "Question, though: are they made of stone?"

Ron nodded. "Yeah...looks like it."

A smile came across Toph's face as she remarked, "...sweetness!"

"How do we play across this?" Hermione asked nervously.

"I think..." Ron said, "...we're going to have to be chessmen."

He walked up to a black knight and put his hand out to touch the knight's horse. At once, the stone sprang to life. The horse pawed the ground and the knight turned his helmeted head to look down at Ron.

"Do we...have to join you to get across?"

The black knight nodded. Ron turned to the others and said, "This needs thinking about...I suppose we've got to take the place of some of the black pieces..."

They all stayed quiet, watching Ron think. Finally he said, "Now, don't be offended or anything, but neither of you are that good at chess..."

"None taken," Sokka said. "I've only played one round anyways."

"Just tell us what to do," Harry added.

"Well, Harry, you take the place of that bishop, and Hermione, you stand next to him instead of that castle." To the Benders, Ron said, "Aang and Sokka, you stay near the king, and Katara and Toph, you stay near the queen."

Harry asked, "What about you?"

"I'm going to be a knight," said Ron.

The chessmen seemed to have been listening, because at these words a knight, a bishop, and a castle turned their backs on the white pieces and walked off the board. This left three empty squares that Harry, Ron, and Hermione took. The king and queen pawns moved around a bit until it could fit them and two people each on a square. Sokka sat on top of the king's head while Toph took her place on the queen's shoulder.

"White always plays first in chess," Ron explained, peering across the board. "Yes, look..."

A white pawn moved forward two squares while Ron started to direct the black pieces. They moved silently wherever he sent them, but Aang felt his heart trembling with fear. What if they lost and failed to get the Sorcerer's Stone?

Ron called, "Harry...move diagonally four squares to the right."

Their first real shock came when their other knight was taken. The white queen smashed him to the floor and dragged him off the board, where he lay quite still, facedown.

"Had to let that happen," Ron gulped, looking shaken. "Leaves you free to take that bishop, Hermione. Go on."

So the game really began. But whenever one of their men was lost, the white pieces showed no mercy. Soon enough, there was a huddle of limp black players slumped along the wall. Twice, Ron only just noticed in time that Harry and Hermione were in danger yet the Benders were okay near the king and queen. He himself darted around the board, taking almost as many white pieces as they had lost black ones.

Sokka and Toph did not make it out unscathed either. The white pieces had attacked them hard, and Toph even tried to take one with her out of the game. Aang flinched when she heard a nasty crunch, and the blind EarthBender was on the ground, grunting in pain; he saw one of her legs bent at an awkward angle and saw that it was broken. Immediately, Sokka had taken himself out of the game to check on her so that she was out of there safely.

_I wish I could've taken their place, _Aang realized, seeing that he and Katara were still in the game. _If I were there, I'd injure myself to save them. But...we have a mission to do._

"We're nearly there," Ron muttered suddenly. "Let me think let me think..." Then as the white queen turned her blank face towards him, he murmured softly, "Yes...it's the only way. I've got to be taken."

This made Aang feel his insides freeze. _Wait, is he thinking..._

"NO!" Harry and Hermione shouted.

"What's he going to do?" Katara asked, her face filled with worry.

Harry told her, "He's going to sacrifice himself!"

Katara let out a gasp and turned to Ron, shouting, "Ron, you can't sacrifice yourself like this! There's gotta be another way!"

"That's chess!" Ron snapped. "You've got to make some sacrifices! I take one step forward and she'll take me...that leaves you free to checkmate the king, Harry!"

"But..."

"Do you want to stop Snape or not?"

"Ron..."

"Look, if you don't hurry up, he'll already have the Stone!"

Toph groaned from the side, "He's...he's right. We gotta go through this."

So there was no alternative left. His face pale but determined, he called, "Ready?" Here I go now...don't hang around once you've won."

He stepped forward, and the white queen pounced like a Shirshu on its poisoned quarry. She struck Ron hard across the head with her stone arm, and he crashed hard to the floor. Hermione screamed but stayed on her square as the white queen dragged Ron to one side. He looked as if he had been knocked out.

"NO!" Aang called. As Katara made a move forth, he saw Harry move three spaces to the left and told his girlfriend, "No, don't move! We still play."

They looked on while the white king took off his crown and threw it at Harry's feet. They had won. The chessmen parted and bowed, leaving the door ahead clear. But Aang and the others looked down at Ron with sorrow; what would they do without him? He had sacrificed himself to get them further, but he might not survive this.

"You four go ahead," Sokka told Harry and the others in a serious tone, grunting in pain from his sprained arm. "We'll take Ron to the hospital wing."

"And make sure you save that Stone, Scarhead," Toph told Harry, groaning as she weakly got to her feet and avoided using her broken leg. "It'll be you and Twinkletoes who can do it. Not me, not the others, but you. We can take care of him."

Aang stepped forth and pulled them and Katara into a hug. "Okay...I hope you guys make it back to the surface."

Katara added, "And please, Toph...no antics."

Toph shrugged. "Won't be possible with this broken leg, Sugar Queen. Take care."

Sokka finished this with a nod. "Take care, Katara. I love you, sis." To Aang, he said, "And Aang...as usual...take care of her."

So with one last desperate look back at their friends, Aang, Katara, Harry, and Hermione charged through the door and up the next passageway. Aang still felt bad for leaving his friends behind to take an injured Ron back...even when Toph had just broken her leg.

"What if he's...?" Katara rasped, looking back still.

"He'll be all right," Harry said, sounding reassuring. "What do you reckon's next?"

Hermione began counting the stuff down on her fingers. "We've had Sprout's, and that was the Devil's Snare; Flitwick must've put charms on the keys; McGonagall transfigured the chessmen to make them alive; that leaves Quirrell's spell, and Snape's."

They had reached another door as Harry asked, "All right?"

Aang shrugged. "Yep. Now let's go."

At this, Harry pushed it open. A disgusting smell filled their nostrils, making both of them pull their robes up over their noses. Eyes watering, they saw what caused this stench: flat on the floor in front of them was a troll even larger than the one they had tackled. But right now, it was out cold with a bloody lump on its head.

"Why does every troll we actually see smell so bad?" Katara groaned, holding her nose. "Can we just get out of here?"

"Sure," Harry whispered as they stepped carefully over one of its large legs. "I'm glad we didn't have to fight that one. Just come on, I can't breathe."

He pulled open the next door, both of them hardly daring to look at what came next. Aang was prepared to bet his next breakfast that they would face another dragon. But there was nothing very frightening in here, just a table with seven differently shaped bottles standing on it in a line.

Harry nodded towards the table. "Snape's. What do we have to do?"

They stepped over the threshold, and a fire sprang up behind them in the doorway. It was the strangest fire Aang had ever seen, for it was purple. At the same instant, black flames shot up in the doorway leading onward. They were trapped unless they found a way out of here.

"Look!" Hermione seized a roll of paper lying next to the bottles.

"Can we read it?" Aang asked her. Hermione nodded, so he and Katara came forth to read over her shoulder.

_Danger lies before you, while safety lies behind,_

_Two of us will help you, whichever you would find,_

_One among us seven will let you move ahead,_

_Another will transport the drinker back instead,_

_Two among our number hold only nettle wine,_

_Three of us are killers, waiting bidden in line._

_Choose, unless you wish to stay here forevermore,_

_To help you in your choice, we give you these clues four:_

_First, however slyly the poison tries to hide_

_You will always find some on nettle wine's left side;_

_Second, different are those who stand at either end,_

_But if you would move onward, neither is your friend;_

_Third, as you see clearly, all are different size,_

_Neither dwarf nor giant holds death in their insides;_

_Fourth, the second left and the second on the right_

_Are twins once you taste them, though different at first sight._

Hermione let out a great sigh and Aang saw that she was smiling. "Brilliant," she muttered. "This isn't magic; it's logic...a puzzle. A lot of the greatest wizards haven't got an ounce of logic, they'd be stuck in here forever."

"But so will we, won't we?" Harry asked.

Aang added, "Let's hope not."

"Of course not," Hermione told the boys. "Everything we need is here on this paper. Seven bottles: three are poison; two are wine; one will get us safely through the black fire, and one will get us back through the purple."

Katara asked, "But how do we know which to drink?"

"Give me a minute."

Hermione read the paper several times. Then she walked up and down the line of bottles, muttering to herself and pointing at them. At last, she clapped her hands and said, "Got it. The smallest bottle will get us through the black fire...toward the Stone."

"Are you sure?" Harry asked.

Hermione nodded. "Positive."

Harry looked at the tiny bottle. "There's only enough there for one of us...two if they could hold some on their tongue. That's hardly one swallow."

"I can use WaterBending to wash it away or something," Aang said. "And which one will get you back through the purple flames?"

Hermione pointed at a rounded bottle at the right end of the line.

"You drink that," Harry told her. "No, listen, you and Katara get back and get Ron, Sokka, and Toph. Grab brooms from the flying key room; they'll get you out of the trapdoor and past Fluffy. Go straight to the Owlery and send Hedwig to Dumbledore; we need him. We might be able to hold Snape off for a while, but I'm no match for him, really."

"But Harry...what if You-Know-Who's with him?" Hermione asked in a low whisper.

"Well, I was lucky once, wasn't I?" Harry asked, pointing at his scar. "I might get lucky again."

Hermione's lip trembled, and she suddenly dashed at Harry and threw her arms around him. "Harry...you're a great wizard, you know."

"I'm not as good as you," Harry muttered as she let go of him.

"Me!" Hermione said. "Books! And cleverness! There are more important things...friendship and bravery and...oh Harry, be careful!"

As they saw this scene, Aang and Katara turned to look at each other, worry in the latter's lovely face. Katara handed Aang her WaterBending pouch, saying, "You too, Aang. Now hurry...take this with you. You're gonna need it for the last challenge." Then he saw her eyes began to glisten as she gently stroked his cheek, saying, "You and Harry have to come back. You have to."

Aang held her tight to him, whispering, "We will. I promise." He bent down a bit to kiss her lips, adding as he gently stroked her cheek, "Take care going back, my gorgeous goddess. I love you so much, Katara."

"I love you too, Aang," the WaterBender replied, smiling weakly and returning the kiss.

"You two drink first," Harry told her and Hermione. To the latter, he asked, "You are sure which is which, aren't you?"

"Once again, I'm positive." Hermione took a long drink from the round bottle at the end and shuddered.

Harry looked at her anxiously. "It's not poison?"

"No...but it's like ice."

"Like you're being incased in ice?" Katara added.

Hermione nodded and handed her the bottle, which she took and drank.

"Quick, go before it wears off," Harry said.

"Good luck, you two...and take care," Hermione told them.

"GO!"

So Katara and Hermione turned and walked straight through the purple fire. Harry took a deep breath while Aang picked up the smallest bottle and handed it to him. They both turned to face the black flames, knowing that their last challenge laid behind there.

"Here we come," Harry said as he drained the little bottle in one gulp. Aang nodded and Bended the water from Katara's WaterBending pouch and over himself.

As he made the water freeze into ice, he felt like it really was flooding through his body. Harry put the bottle down and walked forward, bracing himself as Aang followed him. They saw the black flames licking at their bodies, but they couldn't feel them. For a moment, they could see nothing but dark fire...then they were on the other side, in the last chamber.

There was already someone there...but it wasn't Snape or even Voldemort.

"P-Professor _Quirrell_?" Aang rasped, his dark gray eyes widening.

"You!" gasped Harry.

Quirrell smiled. His face wasn't twitching at all as he replied calmly, "Me. I wondered whether I'd be meeting you here, Potter...and you too, Avatar Aang."

"But I thought...Snape..."

"Severus?" Quirrell laughed, and his laugh was cold and sharp instead of quivering and high. "Yes, Severus does seem the type, doesn't he? So useful to have him swooping around like an overgrown bat. Next to him, who would suspect p-p-poo, st-stuttering P-Professor Quirrell?"

Aang couldn't take it in now. This couldn't be true...even after he had given him an encouraging smile! He felt like throwing up on the spot, but he didn't, for Harry exclaimed, "But Snape tried to kill me!"

Quirrell said, "No, no, no. I tried to kill you. Your friends Miss Granger and Fire Lord Zuko accidentally knocked me over as they rushed to set fire to Snape at that Quidditch match. They broke my eye contact with you. Another few seconds and I'd have got you off that broom. I'd have managed it before then if Snape hadn't been muttering a counter curse, trying to save you."

"Snape was trying to save me?" Harry gasped in shock.

"Of course," Quirrel said coolly. "Why do you think he wanted to referee your next match? He was trying to make sure I didn't do it again. Funny, really...he needn't have bothered. I couldn't do anything with Dumbledore watching. All the other teachers thought Snape was trying to stop Gryffindor from winning, he did make himself unpopular...and what a waste of time, when after all that, I'm going to kill you both tonight."

Quirrell snapped his fingers. Ropes sprang out of thin air and wrapped themselves tightly around Harry. Aang quickly pulled fire out of thin air and sent them towards Harry to free him, but the evil professor brought out his wand and sent a jet of water at the fire, dousing it. Then he tilted his head to one side, and Aang found himself buried up to his neck in earth. No matter how hard the Avatar tried to struggle, he could break free: he knew he lacked Toph's tough mind.

Then Quirrell said, "You're too nosy to live, Potter...you and the Avatar. Scurrying around the school on Halloween like rats; for all I knew, you'd seen me coming to look at what was guarding the Stone."

"Wait a moment," Aang said, gathering this in his head. "You let the troll in?"

"Certainly," Quirrell replied with a smirk. "I have a special gift with trolls; you must have seen what I did to the one in the chamber back there? Unfortunately, while everyone else was running around looking for it, Snape, who already suspected me, went straight to the third floor to head me off...and not only did my troll fail to beat you and your little gang to death, that three-headed dog didn't even manage to bite Snape's leg off properly. Now wait quietly, you two. I need to examine this interesting mirror."

It was only then that Aang understood what was standing behind Quirrell. It was the Mirror of Erised...the mirror he saw the future in store for him and Katara. It was also the mirror Harry told him about, the one his parents had appeared in.

Quirrel tapped his way around the frame and muttered, "This mirror is the key to finding the Stone. Trust Dumbledore to come up with something like this...but he's in London...and I'll be far away by the time he gets back..."

All Aang thought of doing was to keep Quirrell talking and stop him from concentrating on the mirror. He muttered to Harry from the corner of his mouth, "We need to stop him. Come up with a distraction...quick!"

Harry nodded before looking back at Quirrel. "Aang, Katara, and I saw you and Snape in the forest..." he blurted out.

"Yes. I could smell the Avatar's girlfriend's blood from where I was," Quirrell said idly, walking around the mirror to look at the back. "Snape was on to me by that time, trying to find out how far I'd got. He suspected me all along. Tried to frighten me...as though he could when I had Lord Voldemort on my side..."

_Voldemort's with him? _Aang thought in confusion. _What's he talking about?_

Quirrell came back out from behind the mirror and stared hungrily into it. "I see the Stone...I'm presenting it to my master...but where is it?"

Harry struggled against the ropes binding him, but they didn't give. Aang tried to do the same with the stone encasing him, but not one crack appeared. He and Harry had to keep Quirrell from giving his whole attention to the mirror.

"But Snape always seemed to hate me so much," Harry said all of a sudden.

"Oh, he does," Quirrell replied calmly. "Heavens, yes. He was at Hogwarts with your father, didn't you know? They loathed each other. But he never wanted you _dead_."

"But I heard you crying days ago," Aang insisted. "We thought Snape was threatening you."

For the first time, a spasm of fear flitted across Quirrell's face. "Sometimes..." he rasped, "...I find it hard to follow my master's instructions; he is a great wizard, and I am weak..."

Harry gasped. "You mean he was there in the classroom with you?"

"He is with me wherever I go," Quirrell said quietly. "I met him when I traveled around the world. A foolish young man I was then, full of ridiculous ideas about good and evil. Lord Voldemort showed me how wrong I was. There is no good and evil, there is only power, and those too weak to seek it..."

Aang felt mild anger in his mind boil. This sounded like what Ozai would say, just like what he said about the Air Nomads being weak. But hearing what Quirrell said took him back to the final battle, where they were both battered and bleeding.

**(Author's Note: I know that, since ATLA is a kid's show, it doesn't show blood. But let's just pretend it did.)**

Quirrell went on, "Since then, I have served him faithfully, although I have let him down many times. He has had to be very hard on me." He shivered suddenly and continued, "He does not forgive mistakes easily. When I failed to steal the stone from Gringotts, he was most displeased. He punished me...decided he would have to keep a closer watch on me..."

Quirrell's voice trailed away while Aang shared a shocked look with Harry. The former was remembering his trip to Diagon Alley with Katara and Toph...the day they first met Harry. How could he have been so stupid? He had seen Quirrell there that very day, shaken hands with him in the Leaky Cauldron...once again, he felt the urge to throw up after realizing this, but he stopped and swallowed. Just when he could feel the bitter taste in his mouth, Quirrell had just cursed under his breath.

"I don't understand... is the Stone inside the mirror?" he hissed. "Should I break it?"

_What I want more than anything else at the moment..._ he thought, _...is to find the Stone before Quirrell. So if Harry and I look in the mirror, we should see us finding it...which means we'll get to see where it's hidden! _But another thought came to his mind. _But how can we look without Quirrell realizing what we're up to?_

He and Harry tried to edge to the left, to get in front of the glass without Quirrell seeing, but the stone and ropes were too tight; Harry tripped and fell over while Aang banged his head a bit on the ground as he fell. But Quirrell ignored them; he was still muttering, "What does this mirror do? How does it work? Help me, Master!"

And to Aang's horror, a voice answered, and the voice seemed to come from Quirrell himself. It sounded like a demon was talking from out of nowhere.

"Use the boy...use the boy..."

Quirrell rounded on the two and said, "Yes, Potter...come here. You and your friend."

He clapped his hands once, and the ropes binding Harry fell off before Quirrell flicked his hand to the ground and released the Avatar. Harry got slowly to his feet, Aang following him and thinking, _Quirrell must be an EarthBender to try that. Or is that magic?_

"Come here," Quirrell repeated. "Look in the mirror and tell me what you see."

So they did, and Harry whispered directly from the corner of his mouth, "We have to lie. We have to look and lie about what we see, that's all."

"Got it," Aang whispered back.

Quirrell moved close behind them, and they felt their noses twitch. They had just breathed in the funny smell that seemed to come from Quirrell's turban. Aang closed his eyes, stepped in front of the mirror, and opened them again.

He saw his and Harry's reflections, pale and scared-looking at first. But in a moment, both of the reflection smiled at them as Harry's reflection put its hand into its pocket and pulled out a blood-red stone. It winked and put the Stone back in its pocket, and as it did so, Aang saw something heavy drop into Harry's real pocket.

Somehow...and amazingly...they had finally gotten the Stone.

"Well?" Quirrell snapped impatiently. "What do you see?"

Harry screwed up his courage and invented, "I see myself shaking hands with Dumbledore. I-I've won the House Cup for Gryffindor."

Quirrell cursed again and looked at Aang. "And what about you, Avatar?"

Not wanting to reveal what he and Harry saw, Aang replied, "I...I see myself standing before a great city, my friends by my side. I think it means we've built a city for all four nations."

"Get out of the way," Quirrel snarled.

So they moved aside, and Aang felt the Sorcerer's Stone brush against his leg; Harry had just joined him by his side. But they hadn't walked five footsteps away before a high voice spoke, though Quirrell wasn't moving his lips. It was the same horrible voice from before.

"He lies...he lies..."

"Potter and Avatar, come back here!" Quirrell shouted angrily. "Tell me the truth! What did you just see?!"

The high voice spoke again. "Let me speak to them...face-to-face..."

Quirrell looked worried as he muttered, "Master, you are not strong enough!"

"I have strength enough...for this..."

Aang felt like the vine monster from the Foggy Swamp was keeping him to the spot with its vines. Petrified, he watched as Quirrell reached up and began to unwrap his turban. He wondered even more of what was going on as the urban unraveled, Quirrell's head looking strangely small without it. Then he turned slowly on the spot, and what Aang saw next made him jump back in pure shock and horror…but he couldn't scream

Where there should have been a back to Quirrell's head, there was a face, the most terrible face he had ever seen. It was chalk white with glaring red eyes and slits for nostrils, just like a snake. Then the face began speaking in the same high demonic voice from before.

"Harry Potter..." it whispered. "And Avatar Aang..."

"V-Voldemort?" Aang rasped

"Yes..." the face rasped in a husky voice. "See what I have become? Mere shadow and vapor...I have form only when I can share another's body...but there have always been those willing to let me into their hearts and minds. Unicorn blood has strengthened me, these past weeks...you saw faithful Quirrell drinking it for me in the forest...and once I have the Elixir of Life, I will be able to create a body of my own. Now Potter...why don't you give me that Stone in your pocket?"

_He knew._ Aang felt the feeling in his legs and stumbled backward, Harry beside him.

"Don't be a fool," the face snarled. "Better save your own life and join me...or you'll meet the same end as your parents. They died begging me for mercy..."

"LIAR!" Harry shouted suddenly.

Quirrell was walking backward at him, so that Voldemort could still see him. The evil face was now smiling as it hissed. "How touching...I always value bravery. Yes, boy, your parents were brave...I killed your father first; and he put up a courageous fight...but your mother needn't have died...she was trying to protect you...and Avatar, I wouldn't try to Bend those flames," the face added with evil glee as Aang tried to Bend the fire away. "It is magical fire. Now give me the Stone, Potter, unless you want her to have died in vain."

"NEVER!"

Harry sprang toward the flame door, but Voldemort screamed "SEIZE HIM!"

And in the next second, Quirrell pounced, and Aang got between him, blasting a gust of air at him. Quirrell just split the wind with an earth pillar before shoving it at Aang, who was blown back from the force and hit a pillar. He saw Quirrell grab Harry's wrist, making him groan in pain, and the Avatar got weakly to his feet, feeling blood drip from his forehead. Harry was yelling for him to stop, struggling with all his might, and then...Quirrell let go of him. Blinking the blood from his eyes, Aang saw him hunched in pain, looking at his fingers; they were blistering before his eyes.

"What is this magic?!" he screamed.

"Seize him! SEIZE HIM!" Voldemort shrieked.

So Quirrell lunged, knocking Harry clean off his feet and landing on top of him, both hands around his neck. Aang made earth form around his hands and grabbed a hold of the evil man's shoulders, trying to pull him away. Quirrel held on tight, but he cried, "Master, I cannot hold him! My hands...my hands!"

And he let go of Harry, though pinning him to the ground with his knees, and stared at his own palms. They looked burned, raw, red, and shiny as if he was burned in a FireBending accident. When Aang let go, he saw that the same had been done to his shoulders, so he Bended some earth around Quirrell's feet, gluing him to the spot.

"Then kill him, fool, and be done!" Voldemort roared.

Quirrell raised his hand to perform a deadly curse, but Harry reached up and grabbed Quirrell's face. Quirrell rolled off of him, his face now blistering too; he couldn't touch Harry, not without suffering terrible pain. Aang knew that the only chance Harry had was to keep hold of Quirrell, keep him in enough pain to stop him from doing a curse.

Harry jumped to his feet, caught Quirrell by the arm, and hung on as tight as he could. Quirrell screamed and tried to throw Harry off while Aang kept his feet still with EarthBending, but he could not look up. He could only hear Quirrell's terrible shrieks and Voldemort's yells of, "KILL THEM! KILL THEM!" and other voices, maybe in Aang's head, crying, "Harry! Aang!"

Through clouded eyes, he saw Harry fall to the ground, the Sorcerer's Stone in his hand. And as Quirrell wrenched from his grasp, crumbling to dust, Aang knew all was lost and fell into deep blackness, down...down...down.

And everything went black.

_**To be continued...**_

**...**

**AvatarCat13: This chapter was pretty intense...and I assure you that it's not going to stop there. As I said before there WILL be a sequel, but first, I gotta finish the next chapter and the epilogue. And a former enemy will return...but I'll leave you guessing who it is.**

**So today's President's Day...and read and review! Those who do will get a gift to honor all the presidents of America: a virtual American flag with a cupcake with red icing and American-colored sprinkles. I do NOT allow any flames on here or they'll be used to burn Ozai's face in return for what he did to Zuko. I DO allow advice and constructive criticism, though, just as long as it's not harsh.**

**And here's the preview for End Of The Year.**

**Preview: Aang and Harry finally awaken in the hospital wing, where Dumbledore greets them after their battle. They learn about what had happened all through the school year and what the old headmaster knew. And finally, who wins the House Cup for the year?**

**See ya next time!**


	20. End Of The Year

**AvatarCat13: Well...here we are at last! We're at the true finale of Avatar Aang And The Sorcerer's Stone! And tomorrow will be eight years since Avatar: The Last AirBender came onto T.V. Eight years! I wonder what'll happen on its tenth anniversary!**

**To let you know, some of the original lines said by either Harry, Ron, or Hermione have been given to Aang and his friends. Don't worry; the Golden Trio still keep their lines. Plus, anything the Golden Trio will say, Team Avatar will tell each other in their own words, though they'll be similar.**

**And here's the disclaimer.**

**Disclaimer: These two series here...I will never own them. And I do NOT want to own them. I like being surprised, and they belong to Michael DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko, and J.K. Rowling.**

**Summary: ****Aang and Harry finally awaken in the hospital wing, where Dumbledore greets them after their battle. They learn about what had happened all through the school year and what the old headmaster knew. And finally, who wins the House Cup for the year?**

**Uploading Date: February 20, 2013**

**Enjoy!**

**...**

_**End Of The Year**_

Bright light shone over Aang's eyes as he groaned. He could still feel the pain of his head hitting stone during his and Harry's fight against Quirrell. The Avatar remembered how they had gotten the Sorcerer's Stone and how close they were to saving it. What if Quirrell had gotten a hold of it and used it to revive Voldemort?

_I hope that didn't happen, _Aang thought, shaking his head as he opened his eyes. He was lying down on a comfortable bed in the hospital wing, the same kind of bed he rested in when Norbert bit his hand. He recalled the way Katara described clouds years ago and saw that this bed felt the same way, so he relaxed in the softness of the sheets.

"Morning, Sleeping Beauty. You got your sleep?"

Aang looked to the side and saw Toph lying in the bed next to him. A white cast was around her injured leg, yet there was a big grin on her face. So Aang smiled back and greeted her, "Hey Toph. How's your leg?"

Toph replied, "I've felt worse than this. Good to see you two back in the land of the living."

Just then, the doors to the hospital wing opened, and Dumbledore strode in. He was looking over them with a reassuring and gentle smile as he approached Harry's bed. Harry was also lying in a bed, just having put on his glasses, when Dumbledore said, "Good afternoon, you three."

Aang and Toph gave him their greetings, which were interrupted by Harry yelping, "Sir! The Stone! It was Quirrell! He's got the Stone! Sir, quick-"

"Calm yourself, dear boy, you are a little behind the times," Dumbledore told him. "Quirrell does not have the Stone."

"Then who does? Sir, I-"

Dumbledore held out a gentle hand. "Harry, please relax, or Madam Pomfrey will have me thrown out."

"He's right," Aang added. "Try and calm down."

So Harry did. And when Aang looked over at him, there was a table piled high with what looked like half the candy shop. He was amazed to see how much sweets there were; he was a candy lover, but he didn't want to take any without permission.

Dumbledore beamed at them. "Tokens from your friends and admirers. What happened down in the dungeons between you and Professor Quirrell is a complete secret, so, naturally, the whole school knows. I believe your friends Misters Fred and George Weasley were responsible for trying to send you a toilet seat. No doubt they thought it would amuse you. Madam Pomfrey, however, felt it might not be very hygienic and confiscated it."

"I wish I could've seen that," Toph snorted with laughter.

Harry smiled a bit before frowning again. "How long have we been in here?"

"Three days," Dumbledore replied. "Mr. Ronald Weasley, Miss Granger, Katara, and Sokka will be most relieved you three have come round. They have been extremely worried."

_I bet they were, _Aang thought. He could imagine the look of shock and horror on Katara's face when she saw her boyfriend's unconscious body along with Harry's. He felt so ashamed of making her feel this way that he decided to make it up to her.

"But sir, the Stone-" Harry began.

Dumbledore's smile faded a bit. "I see you are not to be distracted. Very well...I will tell you about the Stone. Professor Quirrell did not manage to take it from you. I arrived in time to prevent that, although you were doing very well on your own, I must say."

Toph spoke up, "You got there? You got Hermione's owl?"

"We must have crossed in midair," came the reply. "No sooner had I reached London than it became clear to me that the place I should be was the one I had just left. I arrived just in time to pull Quirrell off you two."

"It was _you_," Aang rasped.

Dumbledore nodded. "I feared I might be too late."

Harry added, "You nearly were; I couldn't have kept him off the Stone much longer–"

"Not the Stone, boy, but you." Aang was amazed to hear the passion in the headmaster's voice. "The effort involved nearly killed you two. For one terrible moment there, I was afraid it had. As for the Stone, it has been destroyed."

"Destroyed?" Harry asked blankly. "But your friend...Nicolas Flamel..."

Dumbledore looked delighted now. "Oh, you know about Nicolas? You all _did _do the thing properly, didn't you? Well, Nicolas and I have had a little chat and agreed it's all for the best."

Aang said, "But that means he and his wife will die, won't they?"

"They have enough Elixir stored to set their affairs in order and then, yes, they will die." The old man smiled at the look of amazement on their faces. "To one as young as you, I'm sure it seems incredible, but to Nicolas and Perenelle, it really is like going to bed after a _very _long day. After all, to the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure. You know, the Stone was really not such a wonderful thing. As much money and life as you could want! The two things most human beings would choose above all...the trouble is, humans do have a knack of choosing precisely those things that are worst for them."

Aang was at a loss for words while Dumbledore hummed a little and smiled at the ceiling. He knew that it was the right thing to do; besides, between Katara and the Stone, he would choose her over the Stone any day.

"Sir?" Harry suddenly piped up. "I've been thinking, sir...even if the Stone's gone, Vol...I mean, You-Know-Who..."

"Call him Voldemort, Harry," Dumbledore told him. "Always use the proper name for things. Fear of a name increases fear of the thing itself."

"Really?" Toph asked. Aang knew many people had scolded her throughout the year for boldly (and brazenly) saying his name out loud.

Dumbledore nodded, and Harry went on, "Well, Voldemort's going to try other ways of coming back, isn't he? I mean, he hasn't gone, has he?"

Dumbledore shook his head. "No, Harry, he has not. He is still out there somewhere, perhaps looking for another body to share...not being truly alive, he cannot be killed. He left Quirrell to die; he shows just as little mercy to his followers as his enemies. Nevertheless, while you may only have delayed his return to power, it will merely take someone else who is prepared to fight what seems a losing battle next time...and if he is delayed again, and again, why, he may never return to power."

Aang nodded a bit. If they kept interrupting Voldemort's attempts at revival, then they could make sure he would never rise again. He felt bad for keeping someone from returning to life, but this would be a special case: Voldemort would not be revived.

Then Harry said, "Sir, there are some other things I'd like to know, if you can tell me...things I want to know the truth about..."

"The truth." Dumbledore sighed. "It is a beautiful and terrible thing, and should therefore be treated with great caution. However, I shall answer your questions unless I have a very good reason not to, in which case I beg you'll forgive me. I shall not, of course, lie."

"Well..." Harry said. "Voldemort said that he only killed my mother because she tried to stop him from killing me. But why would he want to kill me in the first place?"

Dumbledore sighed very deeply this time. "Alas, the first thing you ask me, I cannot tell you. Not today. Not now. You will know, one day...put it from your mind for now, Harry. When you are older…I know you hate to hear this...when you are ready, you will know. But I am sure that Team Avatar has already told you of their mission...the path to stay on for now."

Aang knew better than to argue about it. So he listened on as Harry asked, "But why couldn't Quirrell touch me or Aang?"

"Yeah," Aang added. "Whenever he went and touched Harry, his skin would start to blister. What did that mean?"

"I'll explain," Dumbledore replied. Turning back to Harry, he said, "Your mother died to save you. If there is one thing Voldemort cannot understand, it is love. He didn't realize that love as powerful as your mother's for you leaves its own mark. Not a scar, no visible sign...to have been loved so deeply, even though the person who loved us is gone, will give us some protection forever. It is in your very skin. Quirrell, full of hatred, greed, and ambition, sharing his soul with Voldemort, could not touch you for this reason. It was agony to touch a person marked by something so good. And Aang...Quirrell could not touch you either because of the love the Air Nomads have given you in spirit...as well as Katara's love for you."

The headmaster now became very interested in a bird out on the windowsill, which gave Aang time to see Harry drying his eyes on the sheet. He knew how much his parents meant to him even though they were dead. He wanted to say something to comfort Harry about it, but he stayed as quiet as a stone; he couldn't find the right words.

Finally, Harry said, "And the Invisibility Cloak...do you know who sent it to me?"

Dumbledore replied, "Ah...your father happened to leave it in my possession, and I thought you might like it." His blue eyes twinkled as he added, "Useful things...your father used it mainly for sneaking off to the kitchens to steal food when he was here."

"And there's something else..."

"Fire away."

"Quirrell said Snape-"

"_Professor _Snape, Harry."

Harry nodded. "Quirrell said he hates me because he hated my father. Is that true?"

Dumbledore nodded slightly. "Well, they did rather detest each other. Not unlike yourself and Mr. Malfoy or Katara and Miss Parkinson. And then, your father did something Snape could never forgive."

"What?"

"He saved his life."

"_What_?"

Dumbledore said dreamily, "Yes. Funny, the way people's minds work, isn't it? Professor Snape couldn't bear being in your father's debt...I do believe he worked so hard to protect you this year because he felt that would make him and your father even. Then he could go back to hating your father's memory in peace..."

Aang added, "And sir, there's one more thing..."

"Just the one?"

"How did Harry get the Stone out of the mirror?" the Avatar asked.

Dumbledore said, "Ah, now I'm glad you asked me that. It was one of my more brilliant ideas, and between you three and me, that's saying something. You see, only one who wanted to _find _the Stone...find it, but not use it...would be able to get it, otherwise they'd just see themselves making gold or drinking Elixir of Life. My brain surprises even me sometimes...now enough questions. I suggest you three make a start on these sweets." He picked up a golden-brown bean and exclaimed, "Ah! Bettie Bott's Every Flavour Beans! I was unfortunate enough in my youth to come across a vomit flavoured one, and since then I'm afraid I've rather lost my liking for them...but I think I'll be safe with a nice toffee, don't you?"

He smiled and popped the golden-brown bean into his mouth. Then after he chewed, he choked and said, "Alas! Ear wax!"

All three of them laughed as Toph asked, "Yo, Harry! Mind if I try one?"

Harry nodded and smiled. "Sure."

He tossed another golden-brown one over to Aang, who used his AirBending to catch it, as he tossed it over to the blind EarthBender. Toph caught it in time and popped it in her mouth, chewing quickly. Aang was amused to see an astonished look on her face before it turned to delight.

"Hey, it's toffee!" she exclaimed. "Like the kind Old Wizard said it was!"

This made all four of them laugh.

**...**

Madam Pomfrey, the nurse, was a nice woman, but very strict. When the three of them begged and pleaded for some visitors, she simply said, "Absolutely not."

"You let Professor Dumbledore in!" Toph whined.

"Well, of course, that was the headmaster, quite different," the nurse said. "You need _rest_."

"We _are_ resting! Look!" Harry rearranged himself until he was lying down and everything. "Oh, go on, Madam Pomfrey!"

Finally, Madam Pomfrey sighed, "Oh, very well. But five minutes _only_."

And she let the four others in. Immediately, Katara rushed inside and sat down by Aang's side, kissing his forehead gently. Then she went over to Toph and gave her a hug while Sokka gave the Avatar a friendly slap on the shoulder. Outside, Appa hovered outside, giving a roar that made them call out greetings to the bison.

"Aang!" Katara cried, flinging herself at him again. "We were so worried for all three of you! All of us were...even Dumbledore!"

"The whole school's talking about it," Sokka said with a smile. Then his face got serious as he asked, "So what _really _happened?"

It was one of those occasions when the true story was more strange and exciting than the wild rumors. Having complete trust in his friends, Aang told them everything: Quirrell; the mirror; the Stone; and Voldemort. They were a very good audience; they gasped in all the right places, and when Aang told them what he and Harry saw under Quirrell's turban, Katara gave a scream.

Finally, Sokka rasped, "So the Stone's gone? Flamel's just gonna _die_...like that?"

Aang nodded as Katara sat down on his bed. "That's what I said, but Dumbledore thinks...'to the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure.'"

"I knew he lost his marbles," Toph said, but she was smiling.

"So what happened to you?" Aang asked.

Katara explained, "Well, Hermione and I got back okay and brought Ron, Sokka, and Toph back to the waking world..."

"And that took a while," Sokka said with a slight grumble.

"...yes," Katara replied, giving her brother a slight warning look. "And we were sprinting up to the Owlery to contact Dumbledore when we met him in the entrance hall. He already knew since he just said, 'Aang and Harry's gone after him, haven't they?' and hurtled off to the third floor."

"You think he meant for you and Harry to do it?" Toph asked. "I mean, sending Harry his dad's cloak and everything?"

Then Katara snapped, turning to Aang, "If he did, then that was a terrible thing to do! You and Harry could've been killed down there!"

After some more thought, Aang said, laying a hand on her arm, "Don't blame Dumbledore; he's a funny guy. I think he wanted to give us all a chance. I think he knows more or less everything that goes on here. I think he guessed we were going to try, and instead of stopping us, he taught us the stuff to help...like Monk Gyatso! I think he let us see how the mirror worked. It's like he thought we had the right to face Voldemort."

"Dumbledore's crazy, all right," Sokka added sagely, smiling as he nodded. "Listen, you and Harry better come to the end-of-year feast tomorrow. Slytherin won, sadly, and you two missed the last Quidditch match. We were crushed by Ravenclaw without you guys on the team...but the food'll be good."

"I thought you'd root for your own team," Aang reminded him.

Sokka nodded. "Of course I would!"

Aang went on, "And I quit the team, remember?"

Toph said, "Yeah, I remembered you shoutin' at them. I hadn't heard you get this angry since I almost got Katara drunk-"

"Enough of that!" Katara quickly said, laying a hand over her mouth. "But please come to the feast tomorrow!"

So Aang promised. And at that moment, Madam Pomfrey bustled over, saying firmly, "You've had nearly fifteen minutes, now OUT."

**...**

Finally, after a good night's sleep, Aang and Harry were allowed to leave the hospital wing the next day. Aang waited with Harry until he was finished receiving a new gift from Hagrid: a magical photo album with pictures of his parents. He was amazed to see what James and Lily Potter looked like; James looked like Harry except he had hazel eyes and a slightly longer nose (plus, there was no scar), and Lily looked beautiful: bright green eyes and long red hair that burned like fire. Aang knew Harry was happy to see his parents even though he couldn't in a physical way.

The two of them made his way down to the end-of-year feast that night. They were held up by Madam Pomfrey's fussing about, insisting on giving them one last check-up, so the Great Hall was already full. It was decked out in the Slytherin colors of green and silver to celebrate the seventh year of Slytherin winning. A huge banner showing the Slytherin snake covered the wall behind the High Table.

When Aang and Harry walked in, there was a sudden hush, and then everybody started talking loudly at once. He slipped into a seat between Ron and Hermione at the Gryffindor table as Aang sat between Katara and Ron, trying to ignore the fact that people were standing up to look at them. Sokka and Toph were at their own tables, glaring sternly at their fellow Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs for staring. Luckily, Dumbledore arrived moments later, and the babble died down.

"Another year gone!" Dumbledore said cheerfully. "And I must trouble you with an old man's wheezing waffle before we sink our teeth into our delicious feast. What a year it has been! Hopefully your heads are all a little fuller than they were...you have the whole summer ahead to get them nice and empty before next year start. Now as I understand it, the House cup here needs awarding, and the points stand thus: In fourth place, Gryffindor, with three hundred and twelve points; in third, Hufflepuff, with three hundred and fifty-two; Ravenclaw has four hundred and twenty-six and Slytherin, four hundred and seventy-two."

A storm of cheering and stamping broke out from the Slytherin table. They saw Draco Malfoy banging his goblet on the table, and it was a sickening sight. Plus, when Pansy Parkinson looked over to the Gryffindors at Katara and sneered, the Water Tribe girl glared back but didn't say a word. Aang felt even worse than before.

"Yes, yes. Well done, Slytherin," Dumbledore said. "However, recent events must be taken into account."

The room went very still, and the Slytherins' smiles faded a little. _What does he mean?_

Dumbledore began, "I have a few last-minute points to dish out. Let me see. First...to Mr. Ronald Weasley, Sokka, and Toph..."

Ron went purple in the face, looking like a turnip with bad sunburn. Sokka and Toph were looking up at the headmaster with widened eyes.

"...for the best-played game of chess Hogwarts has seen in many years (and the others for playing their roles well), I award Gryffindor house fifty points."

Gryffindor cheers nearly raised the bewitched ceiling; the stars overhead seemed to quiver. Percy could be heard telling the other prefects, "My brother, you know! My youngest brother! Got past McGonagall's giant chess set!" Sokka and Toph were smiling at each other about this, happy that their points went up as well; Ravenclaw now had four hundred and seventy six points while Hufflepuff had four hundred and two points. At last there was silence again.

"Second...to Miss Hermione Granger and Katara...for the use of cool logic in the face of fire, I award Gryffindor house fifty points."

Hermione buried her face in her arms; Aang suspected she had burst into tears. Katara gave a cheer and threw her arms around him, who gave her a proud smile and kissed her cheek. The Gryffindors up and down the table were beside themselves...they were a hundred points up.

"Third...to Mr. Harry Potter and Avatar Aang..." The room went deadly quiet. "...for pure nerve and outstanding courage, I award Gryffindor house sixty points."

The noise was deafening. Those adding up while yelling themselves husky knew that Gryffindor now had four hundred and seventy-two points: exactly the same as Slytherin. They had tied for the house cup...if only Dumbledore had given them just four more points. Ravenclaw was in the lead now.

Dumbledore raised his hand, and the room gradually fell silent as he smiled and went on, "There are all kinds of courage. It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends. I therefore award ten points to Mr. Neville Longbottom."

The long-awaited explosion had now taken place, so loud was the noise that erupted from the Gryffindor table. Team Avatar stood up to yell and cheer with the rest as Neville, white with shock, disappeared under people hugging him. Sokka was cheering "Who cares if we didn't win?! YOU won! Woo hoo!", and Toph was stomping the floor happily. At the Slytherin table, Malfoy couldn't have looked more stunned if he had the Body-Bind Curse put on him, and Pansy was glaring at them before turning away.

"Which means..." Dumbledore called over the applause, for even Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were celebrating the fall of Slytherin, "...we need a little change of decoration. For Gryffindor wins the House Cup!"

He clapped his hands. In an instant, the green hangings became scarlet and the silver became gold; the huge Slytherin serpent vanished and a towering Gryffindor lion took its place. Snape was shaking Professor McGonagall's hand, with a horrible forced smile, before he glared over at Harry. But this was supposed to be a night for celebration and friendship, not hatred. But it seemed like life would be back to normal next year, or as normal as it ever was in this world.

Aang met Katara's eyes as they gave each other a hug and kissed each other's lips amongst the students. Hearing them use catcalls and wolf whistles, Aang let go of the kiss and stared into his beloved girlfriend's face. It was the best evening in their lives, better than winning at Quidditch, or Christmas, or knocking out mountain trolls, or all the other amazing stuff they had seen so far in Harry's world.

_We'll never ever forget tonight,_ Aang thought as he and Katara kissed again. _Not ever._

**...**

Katara had almost forgotten that the exam results were coming, but they did. To her surprise, she and her friends had passed with good marks; they supposed Dumbledore passed them to help them in their mission. Even Neville scraped through, his good Herbology mark making up for his abysmal Potions one. They had hoped that Goyle, who was almost as stupid as he was mean, might be thrown out, but he had passed, too. They hoped the same for Pansy, who was very mean and shrill, but she sadly passed.

But Katara gave a shrug, thinking, _Still, you can't have everything in life._

Their wardrobes were empty, their trunks were packed, and Neville and Toph's toads were found lurking in a corner of the toilets; plus, Gin and Appa were found strolling near the lake while Momo got back from another squabble with Malfoy's eagle owl. Notes were handed out to all students, warning them not to use magic over the holidays, but Katara didn't mind. She guessed it didn't matter that Bending was allowed outside of Hogwarts or not; back at her true home...the Avatar world...all Bending was allowed.

Hagrid was there to take them to the fleet of boats that sailed across the lake. Then they boarded the Hogwarts Express, talking and laughing as the scenery became greener and neater and eating sweets as they sped past Muggle towns. Team Avatar pulled off their wizard robes and putting on their true clothes as they pulled into platform nine and three-quarters at King's Cross Station.

And once they said their goodbyes, Katara brought out her teleporting gem, knowing it was a while since she used it. Then she told them, "Guys...bring out your teleporting gems. It's time to go home."

"Got it," Aang said, bringing his out while Appa, Momo, and Gin joined them.

So once they brought their gems together, knowing that once the four gems were together, they would make a portal. The Golden Trio waved good-bye to them, promising to write to them, before a bright white light overcame Team Avatar. Katara kept her arm still as the united gem brought forth its power and started bringing them all home. She closed her eyes, preparing to feel the soft ground beneath his feet instead of all that stone he stood on for months.

Instead, she felt light snow touch her feet and opened his eyes. They were in front of the city in the Southern Water Tribe, the familiar sights so welcoming yet a bit unfamiliar at the same time. They had made it; they were home.

And at the gate...was Chief Hakoda himself.

"Dad!" Katara and Sokka cried out at the same time. They rushed forth to give their father a hug, which he returned.

"It's so good to see you two again," Hakoda greeted them with a warm smile. "Did you have a good time at Hogwarts?"

"We did!" Katara replied. "And Aang and Harry saved Hogwarts!"

The chieftain looked up at Aang, who gave a modest shrug. "He did, did he? Well, we'll have to make a great feast for all four of you then. Now come on inside my hut; it's too chilly out here for a family reunion."

So he turned around and walked into the city, the three animals of the team following him. Toph went on ahead, saying "Good thinking! I can't stand the cold!", and Sokka followed his father inside, telling him all that happened. Now Aang and Katara were the only ones remaining, looking at each other and smiling.

"We did it, Aang," Katara purred, nuzzling her boyfriend's cheek with her nose. "We got through the first year."

"That we did," Aang replied, smiling as he kissed her cheek. "I wonder how the other six years would be like."

Katara shuddered from that...and the cold. "I don't wanna think about it now. Besides, we've still got plans for Republic City, right?"

Aang nodded. "Whatever you'd like." He held his hands in hers as he said, "I love you, Katara."

"I know," Katara giggled with a smile. "And I love you too, Aang."

And at this, they faced each other and began to kiss, falling into the light summer snow and forgetting the heavy clothes in their bags. What mattered more was that they made it...and they were celebrating to show their joy. Once they were finished kissing, Katara pulled Aang to his feet as he did the same, and they walked off into the Southern Water Tribe city together.

This was one moment they would never forget over many lifetimes. Not ever.

_**The End...for now!**_

**...**

**AvatarCat12: Well...that's it. That's the end of Avatar Aang And The Sorcerer's Stone. It's been nearly two years since I started the story, and I'm really happy everyone enjoyed it. But if there's anything that needs any fixing, just tell me and I'll fix it.**

**Right now, there's not much to say except...read and review, folks! Those who do will receive a virtual plush doll or figurine of their favorite character from Avatar: The Last AirBender or Harry Potter. I don't allow any flames on this story or any other story of mine, but I allow advice and constructive criticism as long as it's not harsh.**

**I already said I was gonna do a preview, and so I shall. And as for the preview of the epilogue...I'll leave you all guessing. :D**

**So...see ya next time!**


	21. Epilogue

**AvatarCat13: Here we are. At the TRUE end of Avatar Aang And The Sorcerer's Stone. I said I'd do an epilogue, and dadgum it, I'm gonna make an epilogue! This time, though, it won't star our heroes; instead, it's gonna star someone else.**

**Well, this coming up May will be two years since I began this FanFic, and I'm really happy you all like it. It's not the best FanFic ever, but I've tried to make it one of my best along with Kataang Island Adventure. And that's what I wanna ask you guys in return for your reviews: would you all like to create your own artwork of this FanFic? I would myself, but I'm a very terrible drawer.**

**Sorry to keep you waiting. Here's the final disclaimer of this story.**

**Disclaimer: These two series don't belong to me. Avatar: The Last AirBender and Harry Potter belong to Michael DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko, and J.K. Rowling, these three very cool creators!**

**Summary: It's a surprise!**

**Finishing Date: February 22, 2013**

**Enjoy!**

**...**

_**The Return Of Ozai**_

Daytime in the Fire Nation. After the War had ended, things had been going well even after the battle of Yu Dao. There were some people, though, who liked it when Ozai ruled the Fire Nation with a harsh and fiery fist. Other people, thankfully, knew that their new Fire Lord was capable of handling the nation without needless violence. Plus, there was the fact that the Avatar himself would often visit to see how things were doing...and Avatar business as well.

And there was the prison itself for criminals of war. That hadn't been removed after the Sozin's Comet flashed over the sky two years ago. Right now, the ex-Fire Lord Ozai was in there, still kept in there to repent all the crimes he had done. So far, he was unrepentant, so he had guards guarding him at all times; Fire Lord Zuko decreed that people would need permission to visit someone in prison. And he hadn't even tried to attempt a try to break out of prison, neither did anyone come to bail him out.

Until that fateful day...

A mysterious black-cloaked figure moved among the rocks, keeping out of sight from the soldiers that guarded the prison. He had Apparated from Britain with an important job from his master, but it was going to be quite challenging.

There were only a few guards at the front, but he had the art of stealth on his side. So as quiet as a mouse, he quickly swept past the guards and made it inside the prison walls. And so far, not many people had spotted him due to staying invisible thanks to a potion he had brought along. He had just taken off his head to reveal a head full of dark hair when he heard a voice call sternly "Stop!"

So he turned around. A FireBending guard had come over, a troop of three guards behind him as he asked, "Who are you, and why are you here?"

"None of your bloody business!" the cloaked figure growled. "Now get out of my way."

"You still haven't told us who you are," the guard retorted. "What business do you have around the prison without the Fire Lord's permission?"

The figure snapped back, "It's just private business. Which means it's none of your beeswax!"

The lead guard hissed, "Being stubborn, huh? Well, you're coming with us to Fire Lord Zuko. He'll know what to do with you."

Not wanting to go with them, the man pulled out his wand and watched as the FireBenders stared at the stick in confusion. Then they began laughing at him, making deranging remarks about how a stick could possibly hurt them. Once they were finished laughing, they threw some fireballs at him, which he dodged. And just when they were laughing again, the man muttered these two words they would hear for the last time: _"Avada Kedavra!"_

At this, a green light shot forth and hit one guard in the chest, blasting him back and hitting a rock. The guards ran to check on him and gasped; this unlucky guard did not look injured, but he was already dead. They looked up in shock again and gasped as the man shot two more jets of green at them, catching all but one guard in the chest and throwing them back. Fear was in the last guard's eyes as he tried to back away, but the stranger was ready.

"_Crucio!" _he growled, flicking his wand at him.

Now the guard was down on his knees, shouting his heart out and slightly foaming at the mouth. The man walked over to him and kicked him in the stomach, making him gasp from the pain and look up. Bending down, the stranger grabbed him by the hair and pulled him up, making sure that he could see the fear in his eyes.

Finally, the man growled, "I am Bartemius Crouch Jr...Barty for short, and I wish to speak with Phoenix King Ozai. Now where is he being kept at."

"I-I-In the very back of the prison," the guard gulped, his voice shivering. "Please don't kill me!"

"Hmmm..." Usually, Barty wasn't someone to spare a person, but he had a job to do; his master would be displeased if he was diverted. So he said, "...alright then. But if you tell anyone about this, I'll come back for you and kill you as well...come hell or high water."

At this, he kicked the guard's stomach again and stalked into the prison building.

Along the way, there had been plenty of guards that stood in the way, so he had no choice but to dispose of them. Any dead bodies he had made were thrown to the side to create a cleaner path. Those who were strong were quickly made weak from the Cruciatus Curse. He even made use of Severus' spell called _Sectumsempra_ and cut most of his enemie's throats open; after that, he told himself to never tell Severus about that.

Finally, Barty arrived at the outside of Ozai's cell, where a large guard stood. He used the Imperius Curse and forced him to unlock the cell before casting him to the side with a _Crucio _curse for added measures. When he walked inside, he saw the disgraced Ozai sitting in a lone corner; he glared dully up at Barty with tired golden eyes and made a small growl.

"Who are you?" Ozai grumbled. "Who dares to interrupt me?"

"I heard you needed some help," Barty said. "My master wants to help you."

Ozai glared at him still. "Your master? What can he do? My own pitiful son...he could try and put you in here with me."

Barty chuckled darkly. "But what if we were to say that we could kill him with one hit?"

"Oh really?" Ozai growled. "And how do you suggest we do that?"

"You come out with me out of this cell, and I'll show you."

But Ozai still stayed back, not wanting to go with a complete stranger. "And why should I trust you? Where is this so-called master you speak of?"

Barty reached into his robes, saying, "My master is with me, but he is very weak. He would like to speak with you. I wouldn't look behind me if I were you, Phoenix King," he added, watching Ozai look behind him. "He is with me here."

And at this, he pulled something out from his robes. To Ozai, it was the most revolting thing he had ever seen in his life...aside from his ex-wife showing any signs of warmth towards Zuko. But this...thing...was definitely not normal; it was burning red with splotches of black on its skin, and its snake-like eyes were red like a rabid armadillo bear. It appeared to be what looked too much like a fetus ripped out and burned before its true birth.

"What is that repulsive thing?" Ozai snarled in disgust. "Get it out of my sight at once!"

"You dare speak against Lord Voldemort like that?"

Ozai recoiled, having never heard this kind of voice before: it was high and snake-like, just as coldhearted as him. He had never known anything like this before and now wished he hadn't. This thing...yet it wouldn't feel right to call this monster just a "thing"...was talking to him as if he was just a subject to a king. He wanted to roast it with FireBending...but remembered in time that it was the Avatar who had taken his Bending away.

But then, as if it had read his thoughts, the thing said through a slit mouth, "I heard the Avatar had taken your Bending away from you, correct? I can give it back."

Ozai stared at him with widened eyes. "You...you can?"

"Yes," "Voldemort" said with a hiss. "But I will only do it if you pledge service to me. You will not need to do much; you just need to support my followers in trying to revive me to my full body, and you will get your reward in the end. Lord Voldemort always rewards his followers. Is that right, Crouch?" he added, sickeningly twisting his head to Barty.

Barty nodded. "Yes, my lord."

Voldemort gave a hiss of satisfaction. "Good. And once I take over the Wizarding world, I will reign as its ruler and exterminate all Muggles and Mudbloods. Some will try to flee into this world for safety, and at that time, it will be up to you, Phoenix King Ozai, to round up all the remaining refugees and bring them into our grasp."

"And all of the other nations...and the Fire Nation..." Ozai added. "Those will be mine."

"You...have my word," Voldemort agreed, nodding. "Now rise, Phoenix King. Rise like the phoenix out of the flames, and blaze beside the Dark Lord. Rise!"

Weakly, thanks to not moving around due to moping around, Ozai rose to his feet, growling under his breath. Barty, smirking with Voldemort as the "fetus" was tucked away inside his robes, kinked his head to the open door as the former Fire Lord followed him outside. Seeing the guard look weakly up at him, the Death Eater sent him a glare that made him tumble back onto his backside. The guard looked even more shocked when he saw Ozai stumbling behind Barty, but he said nothing in fear of being tortured again or killed.

They looked around at the mess Barty had created, but Ozai did not look phased by the damage; instead, a sadistic smile was spreading across his face when he saw all of this. Soon would be the time to get his revenge on his son and the Avatar. They would all pay for what they had done to him. And they would all pay for showing disrespect towards the true ruler of the Avatar world: himself and himself only.

Victory would be his.

_**The End...for now!**_

**...**

**AvatarCat13: Well...that's it. That's the end of Avatar Aang And The Sorcerer's Stone, folks...and the start of Avatar Aang And The Chamber Of Secrets! Plus, the line where they make their deal is from Legend Of The Guardians: The Owls Of Ga'Hoole, where Metal Beak and Allomere make their deal...and I don't own the movie. Plus, I hope I got their personalities right. And I'm sorry this epilogue is short.**

**So anyways, read and review, folks! Those who do will get a virtual pizza with the topping of their choice along with a dessert and a drink. I don't allow flames on here or any story or they'll be used to roast more pizzas. Constructive criticism and advice are allowed as long as it's not harsh. And here's the preview for the long-awaited Avatar Aang And The Chamber Of Secrets.**

**Preview: **_**After their long Hogwarts mission, Aang and his friends are ready to relax and do their usual business in their world. But one day, a mysterious creature arrives with bad news: they and Harry must not go back to Hogwarts! If they did, disaster will strike.**_

_**And strike it does. They get some good with the bad: a former enemy comes to Hogwarts for the first time to shrug off their past, they meet Ron's younger sister, Ginny, and they meet a new friend with a furry secret. But as for the bad, they have to encounter a constantly gloomy ghost, a very vain and useless professor, a growth potion, and old rivals who try to actually tear Aang and Katara apart.**_

_**But worse than these...people are turning to stone. Three suspects have risen: Draco Malfoy, who is an even more poisonous enemy than before; Hagrid, whose past is revealed...and Harry Potter himself. And when Harry gets blamed for this, can Team Avatar prove his innocence?**_

**Finally, here's a list of the people who reviewed this story, and they'll receive the same prize as the epilogue chapter. Thank you!**

_**IDreamOfDistantSeas, Sounds of Snow, Ookami-242, Vi-Violence, hetalia is LOVE, piccatso, blueisawesome, Aurora di Angelo, WishIHadAnAccount, Sakurayukki19, Metif, Vue Lorner, Kyuubi No Tenshi, WinxPossible, Dark Lord Morthanian, Avatarded Rebecca, CassandraSnakeCharmer, Nightlight753, NiniCere, chickencow, alice-in-wonderland-22, princessbinas, NeitherSaneNorInsane, et 12356, Foxfyre 1981, Nano0429, Ryan, Seraphinit, Hawkstar, SilverMoonRider101, Angela, VittlestheRat**_

**SEE YA NEXT TIME!**


End file.
